'So what is this noise we hear about the ANCYL conference being the end of President Zuma?'
There is no “fight” between the ANC Youth League and President Jacob Zuma, its president Julius Malema said on Thursday. “So what is this noise we hear about that conference (ANCYL) being the end of President Zuma?” he said.
“These people going around saying that we don’t want President Zuma... they are using President Zuma against us,” he told journalists at Luthuli House in Johannesburg. “They want to create a fight between us and President Zuma.”
The league played a key role in the election of ANC leaders and had been dubbed the “kingmakers”. Zuma has reportedly fallen out of favour with the league, led by Malema, who was a instrumental in his rise to the ANC’s helm.
But Malema on Thursday said there was no discussion in the league about the leadership of the ANC.
“There is one president of the ANC and that is President Zuma.
“He is uncontested... if you want to suffer political humiliation, you must not even think about contesting President Zuma between now and the 2012 conference of the ANC.”
The ANC elects new leadership in Mangaung next year.
Malema said Zuma was the sitting president and as such, had to be respected.
“When he concludes his term of office he will enjoy the respect as a former president... Whether he finishes his term in 2012 or after two terms, it’s immaterial,” he said.
Malema was previously disciplined for comparing Zuma to former president Thabo Mbeki. The firebrand youth leader and the league played a key role in Mbeki's ousting by Zuma. However, Malema was recently quoted singing Mbeki’s praises.
Malema told journalists that Mbeki was not invited to the league’s conference, nor was he expected to attend.
NO TO DISRUPTIONS
“There is nobody that’s going to disrupt our conference, not even a single individual,” Malema also said.
“No matter how powerful you may think you are. There is nobody because the rights to participate in that congress are reserved.”
He was earlier quoted as saying senior African National Congress leaders were out to disrupt the gathering.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe responded that the league should not seek “scapegoats” for disruptions even before the gathering took place and that its leadership had a responsibility to ensure that the conference went off smoothly.
Malema reiterated, however, that “there are people who are interested to see that conference not succeeding”.
However, “we are responsible for that conference, we’ll take charge,” he said.
The league is set to gather at Gallagher Estate in Midrand to elect new leadership from June 16 to 20.
No fight with Zuma, says Malema
'So what is this noise we hear about the ANCYL conference being the end of President Zuma?'
There is no “fight” between the ANC Youth League and President Jacob Zuma, its president Julius Malema said on Thursday. “So what is this noise we hear about that conference (ANCYL) being the end of President Zuma?” he said.
“These people going around saying that we don’t want President Zuma... they are using President Zuma against us,” he told journalists at Luthuli House in Johannesburg. “They want to create a fight between us and President Zuma.”
The league played a key role in the election of ANC leaders and had been dubbed the “kingmakers”. Zuma has reportedly fallen out of favour with the league, led by Malema, who was a instrumental in his rise to the ANC’s helm.
But Malema on Thursday said there was no discussion in the league about the leadership of the ANC.
“There is one president of the ANC and that is President Zuma.
“He is uncontested... if you want to suffer political humiliation, you must not even think about contesting President Zuma between now and the 2012 conference of the ANC.”
The ANC elects new leadership in Mangaung next year.
Malema said Zuma was the sitting president and as such, had to be respected.
“When he concludes his term of office he will enjoy the respect as a former president... Whether he finishes his term in 2012 or after two terms, it’s immaterial,” he said.
Malema was previously disciplined for comparing Zuma to former president Thabo Mbeki. The firebrand youth leader and the league played a key role in Mbeki's ousting by Zuma. However, Malema was recently quoted singing Mbeki’s praises.
Malema told journalists that Mbeki was not invited to the league’s conference, nor was he expected to attend.
NO TO DISRUPTIONS
“There is nobody that’s going to disrupt our conference, not even a single individual,” Malema also said.
“No matter how powerful you may think you are. There is nobody because the rights to participate in that congress are reserved.”
He was earlier quoted as saying senior African National Congress leaders were out to disrupt the gathering.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe responded that the league should not seek “scapegoats” for disruptions even before the gathering took place and that its leadership had a responsibility to ensure that the conference went off smoothly.
Malema reiterated, however, that “there are people who are interested to see that conference not succeeding”.
However, “we are responsible for that conference, we’ll take charge,” he said.
The league is set to gather at Gallagher Estate in Midrand to elect new leadership from June 16 to 20.
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