Drop Malema punishment - ANCYL

2010-08-30 14:34

Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League wants the ANC to nullify the disciplinary action taken against ANCYL president Julius Malema.

It would make the call at the ANC's national general council (NGC) in Durban at the end of September, ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said on Monday.

"... It is because there was no disciplinary issue there," he said.

"Comparing the current president to the previous president... can't be a basis for disciplinary action."

Shivambu said it was in any event not illegal to make a comparison.

"It happens in the ANC that we always make comparisons with previous leaders."

Compared Zuma to Mbeki

Earlier this year, an ANC disciplinary committee found Malema guilty of "behaving in such a way as to provoke serious divisions or a break-down of unity in the organisation" for unfavourably comparing President Jacob Zuma to former president Thabo Mbeki.

Malema pleaded guilty to a charge of bringing the party into disrepute.

He was instructed to make a public apology to Zuma, the ANC and the public in general, to attend anger management classes and the ANC's political school, and was fined R10 000, which was to go to a youth development charity.

At the time of the hearing, the ANCYL was upset at the way had come about, but agreed to abide by the sentence.

However, in a declaration made at the ANCYL's national general council last week, it tasked its delegation to the ANC NGC with calling for the "nullification of the irregular and regrettable disciplinary hearing of ANCYL president".

"The NGC is convinced that there is nothing wrong that the president of the ANCYL did that warranted disciplinary action," it said.

'Displeasure'

In the declaration, delegates expressed their "displeasure" with moves to "undermine the autonomy of the ANCYL by isolating the president from the organisation.

"National general council therefore holds a view that taking the president of the ANCYL to disciplinary hearing of the ANC for expressing organisational and political views is regrettable and irregular with regards to the ANC constitutional guidelines," the declaration continued.

The ANCYL's three-day NGC took place at Gallagher Estate in Midrand last week.

At the conference, it warned ANC leaders that they could be removed at anytime.

"You must be careful, you'll be on the streets if you don't respect the power of the masses," Malema said.

- SAPA