'Practise what you preach'

by

2008-11-18 13:30

Dear Editor,

Earlier in the year, Malema took Kgalema Motlanthe down in public and the ANC said they told him to behave, promising a different Malema.

Their words were not cold before he launched an attack against Zola Skweyiya. Again, the ANC declared that Malema was spoken to because he is showing disrespect.

During last week, at an Editor's luncheon, Jacob Zuma stated that party leadership has taken Julius Malema to task and that we should have noticed that he had toned down his rhetoric. He did however say that the youth is impetuous and his behaviour is deserving of forgiveness. Whilst campaigning in Cape Town, Zuma called for more respect for elders.

On Wednesday, in Kimberley, Malema made threatening noises about the youth knowing who the Lekotas and Shilowas are and they will make them run. This whilst sharing a stage with Zuma.

Over the past weekend Malema declared University of Limpopo a no-go area for COPE and called Shilowa a security guard and bad parent. On Saturday, in Nelspruit, Zuma said he had told Malema to tone it down. Whatever that means.

Subsequently the ANCYL by the mouth of Floyd Shivambu said "The ANC does not instruct us nor does it order us to do or not to do anything," Shivambo was reacting to a promise by ANC president Jacob Zuma to reign in ANCYL president Julius Malema, who is prone to controversial utterances.

In an interview on 702, November 17, 2008, Malema denied that Zuma told him "to tone it down".

I want to make the following points. This is yet another lie by either Zuma or Malema. The ANCYL under the leadership of Malema is a law on themselves and the ANC cannot control them. Zuma does not practice what he preaches; he cannot and will not enforce respect for elders. It is an empty promise made for political expediency. Zuma's call for political tolerance is empty words. He does not mean it and no action will ever be taken against transgressors

I am concerned that the ANC and it's alliance partners will covertly promote political violence in the run up to the elections whilst leaders will condemn it publicly. Maybe Carl Niehaus can explain.

Geannan p>Send a letter to the editor...

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