The ANC Youth League was planning tactics on Sunday to support its leader Julius Malema, who has galvanised legions of poor black supporters, at a disciplinary hearing this week that could lead to his suspension.
Malema and his spokesperson Floyd Shivambu have been charged with “sowing divisions” in the ranks of the African National Congress and bringing the party into disrepute. Their hearing is expected to start on Tuesday behind closed doors at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.
Malema’s call to nationalise mines and seize white-owned land has unnerved investors but struck a chord with poor black South Africans who also envision him as a future leader of Africa’s biggest economy.
If Malema is found guilty, he could be suspended from the party because he was found guilty of a similar offence last year.
At the weekend, a fiery Malema said at a political event that the hearing was not in the tradition of the party that has ruled since the end of apartheid 17 years ago.
“We need to remind the elders … the ANC is not a pig. It does not eat its own children. The ANC that eats its own children is not the ANC we know.”
Malema said he believed he was being targeted by Zuma because he held different views.
He urged youth league members to continue to fight for economic freedom, even when its leaders were expelled from the organisation.
“We must die standing. When you are dealt with because of the views you hold, it’s better. If you sell your soul you will never have peace with yourself. Your soul will remind you at night that you are a sell-out,” said Malema, speaking publicly for the first time since he was charged with defying the ANC by calling for the overthrow of the democratically elected government of neighbouring Botswana and violating party rules.
The league said it plans to bus in Malema supporters from across the country for street rallies outside the ANC headquarters in central Johannesburg starting from Monday.
High stakes hearing
The hearing is fraught with risks for President Jacob Zuma, who won an election for the party’s top spot in December 2007 with the backing of Malema and other ANC heavyweights.
If Malema is suspended, Zuma will likely silence a power-broker now looking to unseat him when the ANC again elects its leaders next year.
Since the ANC enjoys virtual one-party rule, its president is assured of the country’s leadership. Zuma became South Africa’s president a little over a year after taking over the ANC, forcing out incumbent president Thabo Mbeki.
But if Malema is exonerated, Zuma could find himself struggling for his political survival and to fend off the youth leader’s calls for a takeover of the mining sector — a move analysts say would bankrupt the country.
They say South Africa cannot afford the nationalisation of mines because the market capitalisation of its listed mining firms amounts to about two-thirds of its gross domestic product and twice its annual national budget.
If it tries to expropriate shares at a fraction of their value, the country could violate international investment guarantees that would trigger its global trading isolation.
Malema (30) has no direct policy-making power in the ANC but his ability to influence the masses gives him sway over senior leaders seeking to secure their political aspirations. – Reuters and Staff reporters