Malema ‘pushing boundaries’ for Easter

Julius Malema, president of ANC youth league meets media after his controversial statements. photo: TJ Lemon 19/06/08 JHB

Julius Malema, president of ANC youth league meets media after his controversial statements. photo: TJ Lemon 19/06/08 JHB

Published Apr 5, 2012

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Embattled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema would “push the boundaries” this weekend with a visit to a church in the Eastern Cape.

“In celebrating Easter Friday and commemorating the life of Solomon Mahlangu, president Julius Malema will visit the Twelve Apostles' Church in Christ in Butterworth,” league spokesman Floyd Shivambu said in a statement on Thursday.

Easter Friday coincides with the day in which Mahlangu, an Umkhonto we Sizwe soldier, was executed by the apartheid government in 1979 after being accused of murder and terrorism.

Malema was on Wednesday gagged and temporarily suspended by the ANC's national disciplinary committee (NDC), a move which forbids him exercising any duty as an ANC member, president of the ANCYL or member of the Limpopo provincial executive committee.

In return Malema's lawyers sent the NDC an ultimatum about the suspension, which the committee had to respond to by 2pm on Thursday.

NDC chairman Derek Hanekom said he could not say what was written in the committee's reply.

According to earlier reports Malema's lawyers had threatened to take the party to court if it did not withdraw the suspension by 2pm on Thursday. ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu on Thursday said the party frowned on its members taking it to court.

Malema's temporary suspension from the party followed comments he made at a centenary lecture at the University of the Witwatersrand last Friday. Malema called ANC President Jacob Zuma a dictator and said he was suppressing the ANCYL.

The ANCYL leader was informed on Wednesday morning of his immediate temporary suspension, and that the NDC would bring disciplinary proceedings against him.

The NDC had instituted special measures because of Malema's repeated behaviour. Malema is appealing his expulsion from the ANC for sowing division in the party and for bringing it into disrepute. The appeals hearing was expected to take place on April 12.

The two disciplinary proceedings are separate. - Sapa

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