Malema hearing to resume

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.

Published Sep 13, 2011

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A disciplinary hearing involving ANC Youth League president Julius Malema and five fellow leaders was expected to resume on Tuesday.

Malema received a break from the hearing on Monday for an Equality Court judgment, during which Judge Collin Lamont found that his singing of the words “Dubul’ ibhunu” (shoot the boer) constituted hate speech.

The ANC is conducting disciplinary hearings after it charged the leaders of its youth wing with various violations of the party's constitution.

On Saturday, Malema said the league would not apologise for the circumstances that led to its leadership facing disciplinary charges.

“The crime we have committed is reminding people about their rights in the Freedom Charter. If I am expelled, then I know I will die with my soul intact,” he said, addressing nearly 1 000 people gathered for the league's 67th anniversary celebrations in Alexandra, Johannesburg.

Malema and ANCYL spokesman Floyd Shivambu face charges related to comments on helping bring about regime change in Botswana.

Deputy president Ronald Lamola, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa, his deputy Kenetswe Mosenogi, and treasurer general Pule Mabe have been charged with contravening rule 25.5 (q) and rule 25.5(o) of the Constitution of the ANC.

Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma has said that Malema can stay in the ANC, provided he allowed the party to mould him into a good leader.

Zuma said the ANC did not aim to remove the ANC Youth League leader from public space, according to a report in The Star newspaper on Tuesday.

“No, I don't think that should be the objective. I think the objective is how do you help Malema? Because Malema has a lot of elements that are good in him,” Zuma said in an interview with the Business Report. “What you have to do, is deal with things that are not right with Malema.”

Zuma, however, said if Malema wanted a future within the ruling party, then he would have to watch is conduct.

“You cannot allow him to do the wrong things. In other words, the job of the ANC is to help Malema, to mould him into a dynamic, good leader. That's what we need to do. It is only if you can't do it, that the question becomes what do we do with him,” Zuma said.

“We must help Malema to do the right things. Because if you help Malema to do the right things, you have a very good, potential (sic) young man who could put across things very well.” – Sapa

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