ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema’s energy will be focused on the fight for his political life as he gears up for his appeal against his five-year suspension from the mother body.
The fiery youth leader is expected to file his heads of argument of his appeal on Monday.
During an interview on SAfm on Tuesday, Malema said the appeals by him, the other top four league leaders and its spokesman, Floyd Shivambu, would be heard later this month.
President Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe led the charge against the entire newly elected ANC youth league executive in August.
After a protracted disciplinary hearing, Malema, his deputy, Ronald Lamola, youth league secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa, his deputy Kenetswe Mosenogi, treasurer-general Pule Mabe and Shivambu were all found guilty in November of contravening the ANC’s constitution.
The ANC’s national disciplinary committee (NDC) suspended Malema from the ANC and ANCYL for five years.
Shivambu was given a three-year suspension while the remaining four leaders were handed suspended sentences.
Malema said on Tuesday that his defence would include that he had been denied an opportunity to argue in mitigation of sentence.
“The secretary-general of the ANC (Mantashe) indicated that we would have a right to mitigation, but we were never given the chance to use this,” Malema was quoted by the City Press website as having said.
When the young lions responded to their sanctions late last year, Malema said that from the beginning, it had been clear that the committee had been intent on suspending the youth leaders.
He said it was evident from Mantashe’s utterances that the secretary-general had “agitated” for action and for the outcome of the disciplinary hearing.
If their appeal is unsuccessful, the ANCYL leaders may lobby for support from the ANC’s national executive committee to overturn the ruling.
Failing that they could take the fight to the ANC’s all-powerful national general congress in Mangaung in December where the party meets to elect its new leadership.
Speaking in the Free State on the sidelines of the ANC’s centenary celebrations at the weekend, Malema said: “Even if they suspend us, we will be in the conference in Mangaung.”
Speaking to Independent Newspapers on Tuesday, Shivambu said they would not be appealing if they were not confident in their case.
On Tuesday, Malema also called on former president Thabo Mbeki to become more vocal and active in domestic politics.
Mbeki’s absence was “depriving us of that intellectual wealth”, said Malema.
In the run-up to the ANC’s watershed Polokwane conference in 2007, Malema was one of Mbeki’s strongest critics.
But last year he hailed Mbeki as the “best” president the ANC had produced.
In what was perceived to be a swipe at Zuma, Malema said Mbeki was the most educated and cleverest ANC leader.
He also said the “African agenda” within the ANC had ended since Mbeki’s departure.
The ANC’s NDC found that Malema’s comparisons of Mbeki’s leadership and Zuma’s was an attack on Zuma.
Shivambu said the youth leaders had for some time been discussing the need for Mbeki to return to the domestic political arena. He said they intended to formally request a meeting with him. - Political Bureau