PATA HISTORIA YA MWANAHARAKATI ANAEISUMBUA ANC SA
Julius Malema’s political timeline
Independent Newspapers
(File image) Julius Malema. Photo: Dumisani Sibeko
Johannesburg - Former
African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema joined
the ANC at age 14 in 1990 and moved through the ranks of the Congress of
South African Students where he served as national president.
He was elected as the president of the ANC Youth League in April 2008 at a chaotic conference in Bloemfontein.
Three months later he cemented his
place at the top by vowing to “eliminate any force” which blocked then
ANC leader Jacob Zuma's path to the presidency, vowing “to take up arms
and kill for Zuma”.
In March 2010, Malema was
convicted of hate speech by the Equality Court for telling students that
a woman who accused Zuma of rape “had a nice time”.
In April 2010, Malema visited
Zimbabwe in what was described as a visit on indigenisation, and praised
that country's president Robert Mugabe and the violent seizure of land
from white farmers.
At the time, Zuma was trying to
broker a political settlement in Zimbabwe, and the African National
Congress distanced itself from that statement.
Malema
made headlines later that month when he lashed out at BBC journalist
Jonah Fisher, calling him a “bloody agent” during a media briefing
covering his visit to Zimbabwe.
Zuma publicly criticised Malema's behaviour, describing it as “alien to the ANC”.
Malema was then charged with
bringing the ANC and the government into disrepute over his Zimbabwe
comments, his treatment of Fisher and his comparison of Zuma to former
president Thabo Mbeki.
In May 2010, Malema entered into a
plea bargain over the charges. He was fined R10 000, made to publicly
apologise and attend anger management classes - but this did not happen.
The ANC's national disciplinary
committee said at the time that, should Malema be found guilty of
provoking serious divisions or a break-down of unity in the organisation
within the next two years, his ANC membership would be suspended.
In June 2011, Malema was re-elected unopposed for a second term as ANCYL president.
A month
later, Malema called for regime change in neighbouring Botswana and
claimed the country’s president Ian Khama was a “puppet” of the United
States.
In August, the ANC confirmed charges against Malema for “sowing divisions” in the party and bringing it “into disrepute”.
He was charged alongside ANCYL
spokesperson Floyd Shivambu, deputy leader Ronald Lamola, treasurer
general Pule Mabe, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa, and deputy
secretary general Kenetswe Mosenogi.
Malema's first appearance before
the ANC disciplinary committee at Luthuli House at the end of August
2011 was marred by violence.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated matter,
Malema was found guilty of hate speech after lobby group AfriForum took
him to court for singing the song “Shoot the Boer”.
In November the ANC disciplinary
committee chairperson, Science and Technology Deputy Minister Derek
Hanekom, announced a guilty verdict against Malema and his executive for
their Botswana comments, among other charges.
Malema was suspended from the ANCYL for five years and was ordered to vacate his position as its president.
However, the ANCYL rejected the
outcome of the disciplinary hearings as biased and appealed the
conviction with the ANC's national disciplinary committee of appeals
(NDCA).
On February 4, the national
disciplinary committee of appeals announced it had upheld the
convictions of Malema, Shivambu, and Magaqa for bringing the party into
disrepute and sowing divisions in its ranks.
Malema was suspended for five years; Shivambu for three years; and Magaqa for 18 months.
Their appeal against their
sentences was dismissed. They were granted leave to present evidence in
mitigation and the sentences were suspended pending the outcome of this
hearing.
On February 29, the NDC announced
that it had increased the sanction against Malema to expulsion and that
against Shivambu to a five-year suspension.
They
again appealed. The NDCA announced on Tuesday night that it was
upholding Malema's expulsion and the suspensions of Shivambu and Magaqa,
but confirmed the suspension of Shivambu for three years, not five, and
of Magaqa, for one year. - Sapa
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