THE AFRICAN National Congress Youth League set itself on a collision course with South Africa’s ruling party at the weekend after it decided to stand by its embattled leader Julius Malema.
In early April Mr Malema landed himself in hot water again with the African National Congress (ANC) for calling President Jacob Zuma a dictator at a student rally even though the appeal against his expulsion from the former liberation movement is still pending.
“We have seen under President Zuma democracy being replaced by a dictatorship. We have seen intolerance, people who become impatient with the youth,” Mr Malema said.
The youth league leader, who has called for Mr Zuma to be replaced at the ANC’s elective conference in December, was expelled from the ruling party last year by its disciplinary committee for bringing it into disrepute and sowing divisions among members.
However, the controversial politician maintains he has done nothing other than speak his mind, and that he is the victim of a witch-hunt by Zuma-loyalists keen to ensure their man is re-elected as ANC president for another five years.
After Mr Malema’s comments last week the ANC acted immediately. The suspension was in effect a gag order that barred the firebrand leader from all party activities until his appeal against his expulsion has run its course.
But on Sunday the youth league took the decision to defy their mother body’s ruling, saying Mr Malema would continue as their leader, because his removal was not done in the proper way.
“Julius Malema should continue participating as a president of the ANC Youth League and perform all his functions as a president, because the decision to temporarily suspend has not been officially communicated to the ANCYL as a structure of the ANC,” the body said in a statement.
Yesterday ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu warned the youth league the party would “respond appropriately” to their stance.
“Regrettably, the ANCYL’s decision to undermine and defy the decision of the NDC [national disciplinary committee] effectively defines the organisation outside of the ANC constitutional parameters,” he said.
Mr Mthembu added: “That is totally un-ANC . . . The leadership of the ANC will look at these developments and respond appropriately.”
The youth league has consistently called for a political solution to the tension that has developed between itself and the ANC over the hard line it has taken against Mr Malema and a number of other leaders.
However, their plea has fallen on deaf ears to date.
