ANC Youth League president Julius Malema was consoled by veteran of the women’s league Winnie Madikizela-Mandela after his youth wing was given a dressing down by party president Jacob Zuma at its national general council in Durban on Monday.
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“Every parent is allowed to talk to their children,” she said as she held her arm around Malema, head bowed as he listened.
“Every organisation is like a parent. It does happen,” said Madikizela-Mandela after Zuma opened the conference by calling for greater “revolutionary discipline”.
Zuma earlier told the conference: “We have noted some regrettable incidents, particularly relating to the ANC Youth League conference, which are unacceptable and need to be dealt with.”
After the congress, the party’s leadership would work with the league “intensively” to deal with these organisational problems, he said.
When asked for comment on Zuma’s speech, Malema said he did not speak to journalists. League secretary general Vuyiswa Tulelo said she would not comment because the speech would be discussed during the conference.
Dressed in a cobalt blue coat, Madikizela-Mandela, often referred to as the “mother of the nation”, was mobbed by international journalists who pushed cameras close to her face and fired questions at her as she made her way to the lunch tent.
One reporter took the opportunity to ask for comment on the proposed media appeals tribunal, to which she replied: “My views are my views, but I like Al-Jazeera.”
After lunch, leaders and delegates were expected to hold closed-door discussions.
In the past Madikizela-Mandela has been criticised over a trip abroad, when she was deputy arts and culture minister, and when she disrupted an ANC programme by walking on to a stage to embrace former president Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki brushed her off on that widely televised occasion.
Malema himself has had to answer to the parent body for criticism directed at its leadership.
Earlier this year, an ANC disciplinary committee found Malema guilty of “behaving in such a way as to provoke serious divisions or a break-down of unity in the organisation” and for unfavourably comparing President Jacob Zuma to Mbeki.
Malema pleaded guilty to a charge of bringing the party into disrepute. He was instructed to make a public apology to Zuma, the ANC and the public in general, to attend anger management classes and the ANC’s political school, and was fined R10Â 000, which was to go to a youth development charity.
The league wants the judgement to be nullified.
Vavi ‘impressed’
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said he was “really very impressed” with Zuma’s speech.
“It is unmistakably pro-poor and pro-growth path. I’m really very impressed,” Vavi told reporters.
He said the Congress of South African Trade Unions had noted criticism about the manner in which some of its members behaved during the public-sector strike. Cosatu protesters openly bad-mouthed the ANC-led government.
Vavi said he expected the criticism from Zuma. He said he would have liked Zuma to say more on tenders, challenges in HIV/Aids programmes and education.
Zuma puts lid on mine debate
Zuma meanwhile said the conference was not the place to discuss new policies.
“We must not listen to the media and other people who say we are coming here to discuss new policies,” he said, deviating from his prepared political report.
He said the conference was aimed at reviewing progress on resolutions taken at the party’s conference in Polokwane in 2007.
The NGC currently under way must not be treated as a policy conference, Zuma said.
SA Communist Party deputy general secretary Jeremy Cronin said he believed Zuma was referring to the nationalisation of mines when he spoke about steering clear of new policies.
Cronin said nationalisation in general had to be addressed in the broader context of the South African economy.
A full debate was needed on how to maximise South Africa’s natural resources for the benefit of all South Africans and nationalisation was a small part of this debate, said Cronin.
ANC spokesperson Brian Sokutu confirmed that nationalisation was not part of the Polokwane resolutions which had to be reviewed at the current gathering.
He said it would have to go through internal ANC processes first and then be subjected to a debate at the party’s next policy conference and would only be made a resolution at the national conference.
ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu declined to comment, saying the matter would be debated internally. – Sapa