ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema will not ask any political leader for permission to speak at youth league gatherings anywhere in the country.
“I will not ask a provincial leader or national government leader,” Malema told a youth league gathering at the Majwemasweu community hall in Brandfort on Sunday.
He had a right to freedom of movement and could go wherever he wanted.
Malema said those who said he needed “a permit” to be in Brandfort were no different from those who, during apartheid, restricted the movement of people.
Referring to unknown powers that had apparently indicated he was not welcome in the Free State, Malema said those requests could not have been in the name of the African National Congress. He called on members of the youth league to defend the organisation.
The embattled youth leader said the league was not an organisation of beggars and would keep on raising its opinions within the ANC.
He said former youth league leaders should not try to teach the current generation about being radical. Those who had sold out the country’s workers could not teach the youth anything about respect, he said, without mentioning names.
Turning to his disciplinary hearing and expulsion from the ANC and youth league, Malema said the league's deputy president Ronald Lamola would lead the organisation if he vacated his position.
“There must never be confusion.”
Lamola would lead the youth league in Malema’s absence until the league's branches elected a full-time president.
Malema warned there were people who wanted to “confuse” the structures of the youth organisation.
A handful of placards displayed by youth league members at the gathering had slogans expressing criticism of Free State premier Ace Magashule. - Sapa