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Malema “should continue participating as a president of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and perform all his functions as a president, because the decision to temporarily suspend has not been officially communicated to the ANCYL as a structure of the ANC,” the ANCYL’s National Executive Committee (NEC) said in a statement.
The statement said the misunderstanding between the ANCYL and its parent body needs to be resolved “amicably” through “political discussion.”
Malema was suspended by the ANC earlier this month after he called President Jacob Zuma a “dictator”. This was the second time that Malema was suspended by the ANC. In November last year, Malema and five other top officials of the ANCYL were suspended from the ANC for dishonouring the ANC by opposing its policies.
In February, the ANC aggravated the five-year suspension to expulsion, but the party allowed Malema to appeal to the NDC to overturn the decision. If he fails, the ANC’s National Executive Committee can review the verdict and expulsion.
The conditions of the suspension prohibit Malema from exercising any duty as an ANC member, president of the ANCYL or member of the Limpopo provincial executive committee. But Malema remains ANCYL president until all options to overturn his sentence have been exhausted. His appeal against a permanent expulsion was still pending. Malema has threatened to take the ANC to court if his appeal failed.
As an advocate for black economic freedom, Malema calls for mines to be nationalised and white-owned farms to be seized to use the benefits to serve the vast majority of people who still live in poverty after nearly 20 years since apartheid was brought to an end. His call has won him wide support, particularly from the youths. — Xinhua.
Online Reporter