Malema demands to be heard - report

2012-04-04 22:23

Cape Town - Suspended ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema demanded that the ANC allow him to speak publicly, SABC News reported.

The report also claims that Malema threatened to challenge his supension.

It was not clear whether he would utilise internal processes or resort to court action, the report said.

Earlier in the day, the party's national disciplinary committee (NDC) announced that Malema's ANC membership had been suspended with immediate effect.

The conditions of the suspension meant that Malema would not be allowed to exercise any duty as an African National Congress member, president of the ANCYL or member of the Limpopo provincial executive committee, NDC chairperson Derek Hanekom said.

"He will not make any public statement on any matter pertaining to the ANC."

"He will not attend any meeting of the ANC or any of its structures, including the leagues, except for the purpose of the NDCA [national disciplinary committee of appeal] hearing and the pending disciplinary proceedings to be instituted against him."

Malema would also not be allowed to address any meeting of the ANC or the ANCYL.

This followed Malema's verbal attack on President Jacob Zuma on Friday when he called him a dictator and said he was suppressing the ANCYL.

"After due consideration, the NDC was satisfied that this utterance constitutes a very serious violation of the ANC constitution and that the institution of disciplinary action... as outlined in the ANC constitution is warranted," Hanekom said in a statement.

"[The NDC] concluded that such utterance could bring the ANC into disrepute."

The ANC later maintained that no individual is bigger than the party's constitution, in welcoming Malema's suspension.

"We welcome and respect the decision as we do with all decisions arrived at by constitutional structures of the ANC," spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.

He said: "The decision of the NDC derives from the constitution of the ANC, section 25.12 (c), which empowers the NDC and the national working committee under extraordinary circumstances, to temporarily suspend any member of the ANC with a view to investigate possible charges."