Malema comes out fighting
2011-11-24 22:52
Bloemfontein - ANC Youth League president Julius Malema on Thursday night accused the ANC leadership of double standards and not keeping to the party's history.
"The discipline of the ANC must not have eyes, it must be consistent," Malema told a huge crowd at a lecture in Rocklands, Mangaung.
Referring to the two ANC MPs who failed to vote on the protection of state information bill in Parliament this week, Malema said these people had disobeyed the ANC.
They also openly talked about why they had defied the party.
"The discipline of the ANC must apply to everybody. Let's see what happens," Malema said.
Pointing to youth league leaders, Malema said they had been suspended for talking politics and for holding a different view.
He said on the other side the party had people who lied to the state president, stole government money and went to visit girlfriends in prisons.
"They do not get DC [disciplinary hearings], they do not get suspended, they remain in Parliament."
Malema said it needed to be explained why party members found to have stolen public funds, [investigated and confirmed], could stay a member of the ANC, but somebody not agreeing politically was expected to leave.
Earlier, Malema told the crowd there had never been an ANC Youth League leader who had been prosecuted in public.
He referred to Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu who gave the early ANC leadership trouble on how things had to be done.
"OR Tambo, the deputy-president, explained inside the party that the youth works like this. He never agreed with them and he never suspended them."
Malema told the crowd that "we are going to be suspended" but that he did not care.
"We are ready for anything."
Malema and five other ANCYL leaders were found guilty and sanctioned by the ANC's national disciplinary committee (NDC) two weeks ago.
Malema was given a five-year suspension and was told to vacate his position as president. The deadline to appeal ends midnight on Thursday.
If the leaders do not appeal, they remain suspended. On Thursday night, Malema submitted he stood by everything said and done that led to the disciplinary hearing.
Even if he gets suspended and sent to "a little corner in the bundus", he would tell the other cattle herders that the ANCYL was correct in its opinion.
Malema urged other youth leaders not to show fear.
"If you get a call after this meeting, you will be a changed man."
He also called for radical change in the ANC during the party’s centenary celebrations in January 2012.
- SAPA