Malema out of Limpopo ANC

28/10/2011 ANCYL leader Julius Malema addresses his followers at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria early this morning ahead of the organisation's march on the Union Buildings Picture: Sizwe Ndingane

28/10/2011 ANCYL leader Julius Malema addresses his followers at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria early this morning ahead of the organisation's march on the Union Buildings Picture: Sizwe Ndingane

Published Apr 25, 2012

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Former ANC Youth League president Julius Malema will not be able to serve in the Limpopo ANC after his expulsion, the party's provincial branch said on Wednesday.

“We are aware of the decision. As to the implications of that decision, there is only one ANC, and if a decision has been made (by the mother body) we have to abide,” Limpopo ANC spokesman Makondelele Mathivha said.

Malema was elected to the Limpopo provincial executive committee at the branch's elective conference in December last year.

Mathivha said the Limpopo ANC would accept Malema's expulsion, even though it preferred “a different outcome”.

“During the provincial elective conference last year, delegates said they sought a political solution to this situation. We would welcome this if it is still a possibility.”

Cosatu and the Young Communist League of SA (YCLSA) both accepted the ANC's decision to uphold Malema's expulsion.

YCLSA spokesman Mangaliso Stalin Khonza said: “We respect other organisations that we are aligned to. We do not want to interfere in the affairs of our alliance partners.”

Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said the union federation respected the decision, but declined to comment further.

“As we have said before... we accept and respect the decisions of the ANC disciplinary procedures and we feel it would not be right to comment.”

The SA Communist Party said it was not ready to comment when contacted on Wednesday morning.

Cosatu, the ANC and SA Communist Party, as the tripartite alliance, traditionally support each other on core development issues and usually form a united front ahead of elections.

On Tuesday, the ANC's national disciplinary committee of appeal (NDCA) announced it had expelled Malema from the party. It also suspended spokesman Floyd Shivambu's membership for three years. League general secretary Sindiso Magaqa had his suspension reduced from three years to one year.

Malema was originally suspended, in November last year, for five years for sowing division in the party and for bringing it into disrepute. He was found to have done so by unfavourably comparing the leadership style of President Jacob Zuma to that of former president Thabo Mbeki, and for remarks on bringing about regime change in Botswana.

On February 29, the national disciplinary committee announced the sanction against him was being increased to expulsion. He again appealed and it was this appeal that the NDCA dismissed on Tuesday.

Shivambu was found guilty of sowing division and bringing the ANC into disrepute. He was suspended from the ANC for three years for swearing at a journalist and for issuing a statement calling for a change of government in Botswana.

Magaqa was punished for making derogatory remarks about Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba. Initially, his suspension was contingent on him apologising to Gigaba within 15 days. Magaqa apologised to Gigaba in a statement sent to the media on March 10. – Sapa

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