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• Malema no longer Youth League leader

Suspended ANC Youth League leaders had “misread” a provision of the ruling party's constitution, the National Disciplinary Committee of Appeals (NDCA) said on Saturday.

“The NDCA examined this argument carefully and is of the view that the appellants argument is based on a misreading of a provision in our ANC constitution...” said NDCA chairman Cyril Ramaphosa.

He was referring to an argument by ANC Youth league leader Julius Malema and his executive that the national officials of the ANC did not have the power to institute disciplinary proceedings against them in terms of the ANC constitution.

Ramaphosa was delivering the outcome of an appeal against the suspensions of the youth league's leadership at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.

Malema and his spokesman Floyd Shivambu were suspended with immediate effect and stripped of their titles.

However, the embattled leadership was granted leave to argue in mitigation of their suspensions.

The NDC last year found Malema guilty of provoking serious divisions in the league's parent body, the ANC, and bringing that organisation into disrepute.

Malema had said the league would send a team to Botswana to consolidate local opposition parties and help bring about regime change.

Shivambu was charged with him along with deputy president Ronald Lamola, treasurer general Pule Mabe, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa and deputy secretary general Kenetswe Mosenogi. - Sapa