ANC confirms Malema charges

2010-04-20 12:38

Johannesburg - The ANC on Tuesday confirmed it has put forward for consideration charges against its Youth League president, Julius Malema.

"The ANC has preferred charges against the ANC Youth League president comrade Julius Malema," said deputy secretary general Thandi Modise at a media briefing in Johannesburg.

"We would like to restate that issues of discipline in the ANC belongs to the structure of the ANC and are not matters for the public and the media," she said.

Her comments followed weekend reports indicating Malema had been charged.

Modise said it was "premature", however, to pronounce on what the charges were.

ANCYL submission

She also confirmed that the Youth League made a submission on the charges to the ANC leadership on Monday. The officials would "consider" the submission.

The youth leader was said to be accused of bringing the ANC and the government into disrepute by publicly endorsing Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party and attacking the opposition Movement for Democratic Change during a recent visit to that country.

He also faced a charge for saying, after AWB leader Eugene Terre'Blanche's murder, that the rightwing leader died before changing his racist behaviour. His aggressive behaviour towards BBC journalist Jonah Fisher, calling him a "bastard" and "bloody agent", was also in question.

Publicly chastised

President Jacob Zuma publicly chastised the fiery youth league president, saying his statements were alien to the culture of the ANC.

According to the charges, Malema brought the ANC into disrepute, and violated the moral integrity expected of members or public representatives of the organisation.

According to the Sunday Times, charges against him included promoting racism, sexism, tribal chauvinism, and religious and political intolerance.

- SAPA