Politics
South Africa: Youth leader appeals to ANC to overturn suspension
Malema and the Youth League apologised for the statement. He is also likely to argue that the disciplinary committee should have dropped the charge because of the apology.
His suspension will only take effect once he exhausts his appeals, which he could take all the way to the ANC National Executive Committee, which will meet in December at the party’s leadership conference.
Zuma will seek at the same meeting to win another term at the helm of the party, which would almost guarantee him another five years as South Africa’s president, given the party’s overwhelming support among voters.
Malema was once a fervent Zuma backer, even vowing to “kill” for him. Now the two have fallen out, as Malema has sought to style himself as the voice of the nation’s poor.
That trampled on Zuma’s political turf, after he campaigned for president on promises to help the poor.
Malema has kept his anti-Zuma campaign at full-throttle despite the disciplinary process.
During the ANC’s centennial celebrations earlier this month, Malema held his own rallies where supporters sang songs ridiculing the president. Malema was barred from speaking to the official gatherings.
Copyright 2012 AFP
