The ANC will not review the decision to expel former ANCYL president Julius Malema at its national elective congress at the end of the year, the party said on Tuesday.
“There is no provision (in the ANC constitution) for congress to deal with the matter,” secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told reporters in Johannesburg.
“There will be no closed session because we are reviewing the case.”
He said the national congress, which is to take place in Mangaung in December, did not deal with disciplinary cases.
“It is not an appeal body,” said Mantashe.
However, people could raise the issue from the floor and delegates would decide whether to debate it.
“Anyone can raise it from the floor... it won't be prohibited,” he said.
Mantashe said the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) found no grounds to review the decision to expel Malema.
“After long deliberation on whether the NEC should use its discretion... overwhelmingly, the NEC agreed that there were no compelling grounds to review the decision.
“The rejecting of the review by the NEC therefore closes the chapter on this matter,” he said.
Mantashe said most of the special NEC meeting, held on Monday, was spent discussing the matter.
According to the ANC's constitution, the decision of the national disciplinary committee of appeal is final, but the NEC can review the decision at its own discretion.
ANCYL deputy president Ronald Lamola sat in on the NEC meeting as a representative for the league president in his absence.
Mantashe said the ANC could not force the ANCYL to elect a new president.
The NEC would also not review the suspension of ANCYL secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa and spokesman Floyd Shivambu.
The ANCYL on Tuesday said it had noted the outcomes of the special NEC meeting but would not comment.
Mantashe said now that the matter had been finalised all structures of the ANC and the ANCYL were expected to respect and implement the decision of the NEC.
“The special NEC resolved that the national officials and national working committee of the ANC must meet with the ANCYL leadership to assist them to deal with all the challenges they face and to take the organisation forward,” he said.
Mantashe denied earlier reports that there had been fighting between NEC members regarding the decision.
“The discussions... were robust, open and dispassionate. All members of the ANC who wanted to make a contribution were given an opportunity to so without fear or favour,” he said.
The NEC's special meeting on Monday was the most well attended.
He said reports that President Jacob Zuma had tried to repress the views of some NEC members were also not true.
Besides the issue of Malema, the ANC's NEC discussed the party's upcoming policy conference, which is to be held at Gallagher Estate in Midrand later this month.
Justice Minister and NEC member Jeff Radebe had been appointed to lead the drafting and resolutions committee which had started to consolidate inputs from the ANC's provinces.
Transport, accommodation and pre-accreditation for delegates had been finalised as well as the draft programme for the four-day conference, said Mantashe. The rules and procedures had been endorsed.
“We are ready as can be,” he said. - Sapa