 Malema isolated as Luthuli House protest turns ugly Education department probes claim pupils were coerced into demonstration at ANC headquarters AFRICAN National Congress (ANC) Youth League leader Julius Malema was politically isolated by most formations in the tripartite alliance after his sympathisers protested violently in the Johannesburg central business district yesterday. Mr Malema also suffered a setback early in his disciplinary hearing when his legal team failed in its bid to have the ANC members conducting the hearing recused. A recusal was a pivotal part of Mr Malema’s strategy in defending himself against charges of bringing the ANC into disrepute. Although the league managed to assemble about 6000 supporters outside Luthuli House yesterday, it failed to win sympathy from the party’s tripartite alliance partners and the Progressive Youth Alliance. After violent clashes between Mr Malema’s sympathisers and police, the South African Communist Party (SACP), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the Young Communist League and the Congress of South African Students condemned league members’ behaviour. Youth league members burned T-shirts bearing the face of ANC president Jacob Zuma . A banner with the face of SACP leader Blade Nzimande was set alight by the crowd outside the ANC’s head office on Monday night. Yesterday Mr Malema’s supporters sang songs insulting Mr Zuma and waved placards reading "Zuma is a rapist". Although Mr Malema called on the crowd to refrain from committing such acts, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said this was insufficient. "It is not good enough to send a statement saying, ‘We are distancing ourselves’. "You must take full responsibility," he told a press conference yesterday. Cosatu said Mr Malema’s supporters’ actions demonstrated "utter contempt" for the ruling party. "The ANC must be free to conduct its disciplinary hearings without being intimidated by such disloyal and provocative acts," it said. The SACP said it was unacceptable for people to express their love for a leader by burning party regalia. "This mutinous behaviour is reactionary and counterrevolutionary and flies against all that the movement represents and stands for," party spokesman Malesela Maleka said. Cosas, an organisation Mr Malema led before he was elected youth league president, said yesterday Johannesburg pupils were forced out of their schools and bused to the city centre. The Gauteng education department confirmed it was investigating coercion of pupils. "The department condemns the pulling of children out of school as well as the political manipulation of children," spokesman Charles Phahlane said yesterday. Mr Phahlane said the department had sent personnel to Luthuli House after discovering children in school uniforms were present during school hours. He said some pupils reported being intimidated and forcibly placed on buses that had come to their schools yesterday morning. Insiders said Mr Malema’s lawyers — including former SABC Group CEO Dali Mpofu — argued for committee chairman Derek Hanekom and member Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu to recuse themselves. Ms Shabangu has clashed with Mr Malema and other youth league leaders about their call for the nationalisation of mines. Mr Hanekom has spoken against the league’s proposal to expropriate land without compensation . The committee held its ground after a long argument, and the hearing got under way at 3.15pm, said an ANC source. The hearing was adjourned and is expected to continue today. The ANC decided to move it from Luthuli House after the crowd of about 6000 supporters led to the closure of most businesses in central Johannesburg. Police used water cannon and rubber bullets to herd groups of young people who broke away from Luthuli House back to their designated protest area behind razor wire. ANC officials were tightlipped about the new venue last night. They said it was a secret so that the league did not bring protesters to the new venue. Mr Mantashe said business had to operate and citizens had to move freely in and around the city centre. Several roads were closed around Luthuli House and Beyers Naude Square. Mr Malema received a hero’s welcome when he walked out of Luthuli House yesterday afternoon to address his followers. He told the unruly crowd the ANC’s decision to charge him and his top officials was "something we have never heard of in the ANC". With Karl Gernetzky -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . |
