Malema, Cronin face disciplinary action
2009-12-15 14:33
Johannesburg - ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema and SA Communist Party deputy secretary general Jeremy Cronin face disciplinary steps after an ugly public spat, deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe said on Tuesday.
"I have no doubt in my mind this will set in motion disciplinary procedures," Motlanthe told reporters in Johannesburg.
He was briefing the media on the outcome of a national executive committee meeting of the African National Congress that took place on Monday.
Motlanthe said the NEC requested a report from the SA Communist Party on why an ANC delegation was booed at a SACP conference last week.
Malema was part of that delegation. He was booed after a recent public war of words with Cronin whom he called a "white messiah" for disagreeing with the Youth League on the nationalisation of mines.
Motlanthe said the NEC would consider the SACP report early next year after which disciplinary steps would "no doubt" be taken.
Earlier on Tuesday, Malema said the ANC Youth League will fight any attempts by "greedy yellow communists" to control the party.
"If that booing was a declaration of war, we are accepting that invite," Malema said referring to his reception at the SA Communist Party conference in Polokwane last week.
He told the Pretoria Press Club that the leadership of the SACP had become corrupt and needed to be taught a lesson in proper political engagement.
Malema also admitted to having sent an SMS message to Cronin in which he said he had not learnt a lesson from the incident.
Referring to Cronin as a "white messiah", he said: "Let's teach them correct politics."
- SAPA
