Malema ultimatum 'despicable'

2008-06-21 07:50

Johannesburg - Demanding an apology from African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader Julius Malema for his "kill for Zuma" statement was "despicable", the Young Communist League (YCL) said on Friday.

The youth wing of the South African Communist Party (SACP) said it noted "with disgust the ultimatum given to... Malema by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)".

On Wednesday, the SAHRC gave Malema 14 days to retract the remarks he made at a Free State rally on youth day, when he said: "We are prepared to die for Zuma... we are prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma."

If Malema failed to respond, the commission would take the matter further "in line with its constitutional mandate", its spokesperson Vincent Moaga said.

"The YCL views this ultimatum as despicable and unacceptable given the fact that the ANCYL president has not appeared before the commission to justify his statement," YCL spokesperson Castro Ngobese said in a statement.

"We believe that the commission should not be relegated into a kangaroo court and succumb to pressure from ailing and non-existing political parties."

Malema has refused to apologise for the statement, saying that he did not mean it literally and merely wanted to voice his support for ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

"As the YCL we understand and accept the context within which the statement was made by the ANCYL president and see no need for him to apologise," Ngobese said.

- SAPA