Julius Malema Suspended from ANC for Five Years

UPDATE:  Cape Argus:

Julius Malema is to be removed as leader of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) after being suspended from the organisation for five years.

Malema is barred from involving himself in any activities of the ANCYL and the ANC for the duration of his suspension, which came into immediate effect today after Derek Hanekom,the ANC’s national disciplinary committee (NDC) chairman, announced the findings of a disciplinary process against Malema and the league’s top brass in Joburg today.

Malema was not present at the announcement at Luthuli House for the announcement. He was reported to be in Limpopo writing an exam.

The committee found Malema guilty on two main charges. One related to a statement he made on July 31 – that the ANC was no longer dealing with issues affecting the interests of Africa.

“According to Mr Malema’s statement the issue of the African agenda within the ANC ended with the departure of Thabo Mbeki (as president) in June 2008,” Hanekom said.

The NDC found that Malema made an unlawful comparison between the leadership of Mbeki and Jacob Zuma’s administration.

The remarks, even though he did not mention Zuma by name, were regarded as an attack on Zuma.

“It is not true that the ANC has abandoned Africa. In light of the above, Malema’s remarks sowed division and disunity within the ANC. He is therefore personally liable for his comments. The fact that he made the statement in his capacity as the ANCYL leader is rejected.”

In May last year Malema was found guilty of sowing divisions within the ANC and received a suspended sentence, conditionally suspended should he not behave inappropriately for two years. Due to the guilty verdict on misconduct charges, the ANC implemented the two-year suspension on the May count. Hanekom added an additional suspended sentence of five years for his comments on Mbeki and the threat to overthrow the Botswana government.

Malema was also ordered to vacate his position as league president with immediate effect.

He has 14 days to appeal…

The Mail & Guardian originally reported:

Julius Malema and other ANC youth league leaders have been found guilty of ill-discipline for barging uninvited into a meeting of the ruling party’s top leaders.

Malema, ANC Youth League spokesperson Floyd Shivambu, deputy president Ronald Lamola, treasurer general Pule Mabe, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa and deputy secretary general Kenetswe Mosenogi were found guilty by the ANC’s national disciplinary hearing  of ill-discipline and undermining ruling party leadership.

The youth league leaders were found guilty and each handed a sentence of a two-year suspension from the party. The sentence itself, was in turn suspended for three years…

Rest here.

See also the Telegraph (UK) here.

 

ANC Youth League Riots

But then again, you reap exactly what you sow:

The ANC has blamed its youth league for the “hooligan behaviour” by supporters of league president Julius Malema in Johannesburg’s CBD on Tuesday.

At least one policeman and five journalists were injured when youths threw stones, set bins alight and burnt images of ANC leaders ahead of Malema’s disciplinary hearing at Luthuli House, headquarters of the ruling party on the corner of Johannesburg’s busy Sauer and Pritchard streets.

The league itself also issued a statement condemning the scenes, broadcast live on eNews before parts of their camera crew’s equipment were believed to have been stolen.

“The African National Congress (ANC) strongly condemns as totally unacceptable, wanton acts of criminality and hooliganism we witnessed today outside our headquarters, Chief Albert Luthuli House, perpetrated by an unruly mob of people claiming to be ANC Youth League members,” the party said in a statement.

“The question we ask ourselves is whether these people who have the audacity to burn the ANC flag, posters with the face of ANC President Jacob Zuma and other leaders of the movement, launch attacks on police officers, hawkers and journalists, qualify to regard themselves as members of the African National Congress or any of its leagues.”

The movement was “totally shocked” by “unacceptable, criminal acts of violence” which included throwing rocks at motorists and members of the public.

The behaviour went against the values and discipline of the ANC…

I mean, look at this, an ANCYL sanctioned riot:

Hooligans indeed. The chaos even became a global trend on Twitter.

What a disgrace!