ANC: Malema matter a distraction

2012-04-25 09:29

Johannesburg - The disciplinary processes against the ANC Youth League leadership have been a distraction from the core business of the ruling party, the ANC said on Wednesday.

"It's not something nice, we value every member, but our members have to abide by the [party] constitution," said African National Congress spokesperson Jackson Mthembu.

"With the process reaching finality, the ANC can concentrate on its main business of making life better for South Africans."

On Tuesday the party's national disciplinary committee of appeal expelled Youth League president Julius Malema and suspended the membership of spokesperson Floyd Shivambu for three years.

General secretary of the league Sindiso Magaqa had his sentence of suspension reduced from three years to one year.

Respect ruling

Mthembu said the closure the NDCA decision had brought to the matter left the ANC in a stronger position to tackle issues related to service delivery and improvement of the health and education system.

He called on all ANC, Youth League and alliance members to respect and abide by the decision as it was taken by a party structure within the guidelines of the ANC constitution.

Now that the matter was settled, the ANC would also be able to prepare for the national elective conference to be held in Mangaung, said Mthembu.

Malema was originally suspended for five years for sowing division in the party and for bringing it into disrepute.

He was found to have done so by unfavourably comparing the leadership style of President Jacob Zuma to that of former president Thabo Mbeki, and for remarks on bringing about regime change in Botswana.

On February 29 the NDC announced that the sanction against him was being increased to one of expulsion.

He again appealed and it was this appeal that the NDCA dismissed on Tuesday.

Shivambu was found guilty of sowing division and bringing the ANC into disrepute. He was suspended from the ANC for three years for swearing at a journalist and for issuing a statement calling for a change of government in Botswana.

Magaqa was punished for making derogatory remarks about Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba. Initially, his suspension was contingent on him apologising to Gigaba within 15 days. Magaqa apologised to Gigaba in a statement sent to the media on March 10.

- SAPA