The African National Congress Youth League is not mobilising people to come to Luthuli House to show support for its leaders at their upcoming disciplinary hearing, league president Julius Malema said on Monday.
“It has come to our attention through media reports that many people from across the country … will descend to Johannesburg to give support,” Malema said at a press briefing held at the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg.
“We are not busing people to Luthuli House.”
He said the league’s national office had not asked its provincial branches to send supporters.
“Pick up this issue with the provinces who announced they are coming.”
Discipline and respect
The youth league was calling on those who were coming to be disciplined.
“Those who come to pledge support should do so with restraint and show maximum levels of discipline,” said Malema.
“No one has the right to disrespect the disciplinary in our name.”
Malema said the ANCYL had heard reports that people were ready to shoot at unarmed people.
“Peace and unity should prevail until the conclusion. We are disciplined members of the organisation [ANC] and respect the leadership,” he said.
Malema’s disciplinary hearing was scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
Charges
Malema faces charges alongside league spokesperson Floyd Shivambu, league deputy president Ronald Lamola, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa, his deputy Kenetswe Mosenogi, and treasury general Pule Mabe.
The charges include bringing the ANC into disrepute and sowing divisions in ANC ranks.
Malema recently said the ANCYL would send a team to Botswana to consolidate local opposition parties and help bring about regime change, as it believed the government there was “in full cooperation with imperialists” and was undermining the “African agenda”.
The league was publicly rebuked by the ANC for this and then apologised, but its national executive member Lerato Mofokeng at the weekend said the league still called for a free and more democratic society in Botswana.
She indicated that the ANC youth movement’s apology in this regard was more for the “media” and that the movement stood by its statement.
Initially only Malema and Shivambu were charged, but the four other leaders’ names were added to the charge sheet last week. The league was reportedly hoping to argue in Malema’s defence that he was communicating a resolution of the ANCYL national executive committee and therefore the entire body should be charged, not just its president.
Last year Malema pleaded guilty in an ANC disciplinary hearing after he publicly criticised President Jacob Zuma. The national disciplinary committee at the time said that should Malema be found guilty of provoking serious divisions or a break-down of unity in the organisation within the next two years, his membership of the ANC would be suspended. — Sapa
For more news and multimedia on ANC Youth League president Julius Malema click here.
