ANCYL President, Julius Malema and President Jacob Zuma. Photo: Cara Viereckl ANCYL President, Julius Malema and President Jacob Zuma. Photo: Cara Viereckl
ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema and President Jacob Zuma will come face to face at the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) lekgotla, starting on Thursday.
This is the first time since the ANC’s January 8 statement in Mangaung that Zuma and Malema are to attend the same party gathering.
The reason why Malema will be in attendance at the crucial meeting of the ANC's leaders is because the national disciplinary committee of appeal (NDCA) was yet to meet to deliberate on youth leaders’ cases. And up until the NDCA rules, Malema remains a member of the ANC with rights.
This weekend’s NEC meeting will provide Malema with an important opportunity to lobby members of the 90-strong NEC to rally behind the youth leaders, in the event that their appeals are unsuccessful.
While Zuma succeeded in denying the brazen youth leader an opportunity to address the thousands of ANC supporters who gathered in Mangaung to celebrate the party’s centenary, he will not be able to block Malema from speaking and engaging in the debates during the extended NEC meeting that is to continue until Sunday.
Youth league secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa confirmed on Tuesday that he and Malema would attend the NEC lekgotla.
ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said the matter of the disciplinary cases against the youth league leaders – which has caused serious divisions in the ANC – was not on the agenda and would not be discussed.
Malema, his deputy Ronald Lamola; Magaqa, his deputy Kenetswe Mosenogi; treasurer-general Pule Mabe; and league spokesman Floyd Shivambu were slapped with several charges of misconduct last August.
The ANC’s national disciplinary committee found Malema guilty of bringing the ANC into disrepute, sowing divisions in the party and misconduct. Malema was suspended from the party and its youth league for five years.
Shivambu was handed a three-year suspension, while the remaining leaders were handed suspended sentences. The youth leaders have since appealed the judgments and sentences against them. - Political Bureau