Politics
South Africa: Youth leader appeals to ANC to overturn suspension
The man held a placard with the words: “Comrade Cyril, do the right thing, there’s no case here, just shackles.”
Malema’s vocal calls to nationalise mines and banks, and his often racially tinged rhetoric, have divided South Africa — despite a broad agreement that the government needs to do more to fight poverty and a 25 percent unemployment rate.
“We need somebody like Malema who will pick up on issues and talk about them. But not in the manner that he is using and not in the way that they are doing it now, because what they’re doing, they’re creating a divided ANC,” said student Xolali Gama as he passed by the party headquarters.
But 40-something Margaret Sibela praised Malema: “He’s a good leader. If he will be out, I will be out with him.”
Malema is expected to ask for his suspension to be overturned because he was not allowed to plead for a lesser sentence.
In November he was found guilty of sowing divisions within the ANC, misconduct and bringing the party into disrepute, following weeks of hearings that were marred by violent protests.
The charge of bringing the party into disrepute stemmed from his call for a regime change in neighbouring democratic Botswana.
