The ANC Youth League says it was honouring the sanctions meted out by the ANC’s national disciplinary committee of appeal (NDCA) against some of its leaders when none of them attended a meeting of the ANC’s national executive committee at the weekend.
Spokeswoman Magdalene Moonsamy denied that the league’s absence from the executive committee meeting was a boycott in protest against the sentences handed down last month to expelled league leader Julius Malema, and secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa and spokesman Floyd Shivambu, who were both suspended.
Moonsamy said: “There was an NDCA rule that there is no participation. The president and secretary-general are respecting the sanction meted out. We still regard our president as president and our secretary-general as secretary-general. The reality is that one is expelled and one is suspended.”
Neither Magaqa nor Moonsamy would be drawn on a report on Sunday that he might be reinstated, following meetings between the league and ANC officials, including President Jacob Zuma. “I have no idea about being reinstated,” Magaqa said on Sunday.
The Sunday Times reported that Zuma, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, national chairwoman Baleka Mbete and treasurer-general Matthews Phosa had met the league at Luthuli House on Sunday last week.
The meeting was reportedly aimed at trying to mend the deteriorating relationship between the ANC and the youth league.
League leaders reportedly complained to the ANC leadership that the treatment meted out had been unfair, particularly regarding Magaqa.
The report said no agreement had been reached, but the ANC leaders had said they would meet the league again. ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu confirmed yesterday that the meeting had taken place, but would not be drawn on its outcome.
“Details of that meeting are an ANC matter and have not been publicised. There is no statement on that meeting,” Mthembu said.
He confirmed that the ANC and the youth league would meet again.
“When the meeting has taken place and we want to make a statement, we will do so. This is an internal ANC matter…
Like any family, there are discussions that are family related and not for public discussion.”
Moonsamy said: “I will not comment on anything that is still a process. The reports are speculation. We’ve always said that we would (talk to) the ANC for a political solution.”
She also refused to comment on news reports yesterday that Malema had been bought a R3.9 million farm near Polokwane by Limpopo “tenderpreneurs” for whom he allegedly organised government deals.
The allegations emerged from a PricewaterhouseCoopers report on an audit into Malema’s financial affairs, compiled for the National Treasury.
The Sunday Times reported that the audit found Malema had received a number of payments in return for irregular tenders which were rigged to go to companies he worked with, in return for kickbacks paid into his Ratanang Family Trust account.
The newspaper reported that Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust had received R7.6m over 36 months, from which Malema withdrew R5.7m using 168 cheques, even though he said the money was for donations for charitable causes.
Bank statements forming part of the audit showed Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale’s Mvelaphanda Holdings paid R100 000 to the trust in December 2010.
Malema has previously denied receiving money from Sexwale.
Political Bureau