Shaun Smillie

JOHANNESBURG: ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema has lodged an appeal to have his five-year suspension overturned.

It is understood that papers were dropped off at businessman and ANC top gun Cyril Ramaphosa’s office between 4pm and 5pm yesterday.

Ramaphosa is the chairman of the ANC’s disciplinary appeals panel. The other youth league leaders have also apparently lodged their appeals and had them dropped off at Ramaphosa’s office.

The five ANCYL members had 14 days to appeal against their suspensions. The ANC last night had yet to confirm having received the appeal.

ANC spokesman Keith Khosa said yesterday that he didn’t know what the youth leader would be handing in, or if the document contained heads of argument.

Malema has argued that the ANC’s national disciplinary committee had not taken into consideration a league resolution that required the involvement of ANCYL disciplinary structures when the ANC was dealing with serious charges related to their youth wing.

The suspended youth league leader has also argued that the ANC does not have the power to suspend him.

He is also likely to point out an inconsistency in disciplinary issues within the ANC, saying that some high-ranking members had arrived at rallies drunk and had even been caught drinking and driving, but had not been disciplined.

Malema is also expected to argue that the harsh sentences had been the idea of ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and not disciplinary committee head Derek Hanekom. Malema contends that Mantashe wants him out of the way.

Sapa reports that Malema said he and his co-accused did not care about being suspended. Yesterday, he said: “We are going to be suspended. We do not care.”