Party reverses decision to move youth wing leader's disciplinary
hearing to secret location following violent outbreaks on the first
day
Peter Walker and agencies
Thursday September 1 2011
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/31/julius-malema-hearing-anc-headquarters
South Africa's ruling African National Congress has backed down in a
power struggle with the controversial head of the party's youth wing,
reversing a decision to move a disciplinary hearing to a secret
location following violence on Tuesday.
Officials said on Tuesday night that the hearing, which could suspend
Julius Malema from the ANC, would be moved to an undisclosed location
after clashes between riot police and Malema supporters outside the
headquarters. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/30/south-
africa-police-supporters-julius-malema" title="]
Police used water cannon and stun grenades against pro-Malema crowds,
who burned ANC flags and posters of South African president Jacob
Zuma.
A party spokesman later said that Wednesday's session would still go
ahead at the ANC building. He said the hearing could yet be moved if
there was more trouble. He did not explain the reason for the change,
although local reports said Malema and his lawyers had objected to the
original decision.
Addressing a crowd in central Johannesburg late on Tuesday, Malema
urged supporters not to throw stones at police or journalists.
"The police is not your enemy. These are the people employed to
protect you," South Africa's Mail and Guardian newspaper quoted him as
saying [http://mg.co.za/article/2011-08-30-anc-partners-slam-youth-
league-as-clashes-escalate" title="]. "You must know who is the
enemy," which prompted the crowd to chant, "Zuma! Zuma!"
Malema, 30, has no formal policy making power in the party but is very
influential, with a committed powerbase. He has angered Zuma and other
leading ANC members by agitating for the nationalisation of South
Africa's hugely valuable mining industry, a move critics say would
bring instant economic isolation.
His lavish lifestyle and fondness for contentious statements, for
example a speech saying white South Africans should be treated as
"criminals" [http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/malema-white-people-
are-criminals-1.1065708" title="">saying white South Africans should
be treated as "criminals] for stealing land, has also proved divisive.
Malema was disciplined by the party last year for undermining Zuma and
warned that a repeat offence within two years could lead to his
suspension. The current disciplinary hearing, involving Malema and
five youth wing members, followed a youth wing statement calling for
the overthrow of the democratically elected government of neighbouring
Botswana.
It is a high-risk strategy for both sides. If Malema is suspended he
could lose his political powerbase. However, if Zuma is forced to back
down, it could greatly damage his standing in the party, which has
ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Early reports said that while police were surrounding the ANC
headquarters on Wednesday there were no protesters as yet.
guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2011
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