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People who have met Malema in the Eastern Cape this week have declined to identify themselves for fear of being disciplined by the ANC

 We discourage all our members in associating themselves with this grouping 

Provincial leaders including Ayanda Matiti confirmed that the provincial league had not endorsed Malema’s meetings with church and traditional leaders in the Mthatha area or the official launch of the YL friends campaign, as it was not part of the Youth League programme.

A similar movement called “Friends of JZ” gave political and financial support to Jacob Zuma after he was dismissed as deputy president and during his trials on a variety of charges.

Provincial ANCYL secretary Mziwonke Ndabeni said the local ANCYL was distancing itself from the YLFriends and not necessarily from Malema.

“Any struggle outside the ANC structures is not the struggle of the Youth League. That is our stance. Julius has not been left in the cold. All we are saying is that things that are not organisational are not part of the Youth League,” said Ndabeni.

Malema and his former deputy Andile Lungisa, who is also chairman of the National Youth Development Agency, ANCYL NEC member Tando Mase and OR Tambo regional secretary Ndumiso Sapepa met traditional leaders at the Tsolo town hall near Mthatha yesterday.

The area is riddled with infighting over the amaMpondomise kingship with the Jola’s, who are part of Fikile Mbalula’s clan, contesting against the Dosini’s who back President Jacob Zuma.

“Only the Jola’s can meet such a group. The Dosini’s are very clear, they are in support of President Zuma,” said one of the senior traditional leaders in the area.

The Friends of the Youth League initiative was established last year after the ANC’s national disciplinary committee formally announced charges against the embattled youth league president, but was officially launched last night inmthatha.

It is understood that the majority of the Friends of Youth League are members of the ANC and the ANC Youth League. They have more than 600 followers on their twitter site.

Malema landed at the Mthatha Airport at about 10am yesterday and was rushed to a guest house in Mthatha by people who have close ties with the ANC and the league in the OR Tambo region.

Those who met Malema declined to identify themselves for fear of being disciplined by the ANC.

Malema spent about two hours with traditional leaders in Tsolo before he went to address traditional leaders at Nyandeni Great Place near Libode. He was billed as the main speaker at the launch of the Friends of the Youth League later yesterday.

Provincial ANCYL spokesman Nkosinathi Nomatiti said in a statement that the league had noted “with concern the establishment a grouping called the ‘Friends of the Youth League’ and would want to put it categorically that the Eastern Cape elected collective and its structures of the ANC Youth League is not part of this grouping and we are not in support of it".

“We further discourage all our members in associating themselves with this grouping. Anyone of the ANC Youth League members in the Eastern Cape who attends any of this grouping’s meetings or gatherings would be doing so in his or her personal capacity and not representing the ANC Youth League in the Eastern Cape,” said Nomatiti.

Nomatiti called upon ANC Youth League members to instead spend their energy pursuing the organisation’s collectively agreed decisions and not be involved in “machinations that could easily be about the pursuit of the cancerous personality cult within the ranks of our organisation.”

But a member of the Friends of the Youth League in the OR Tambo region defended Malema, saying he had been treated unfairly by the mother body.

“He is the leader of a huge organisation so it is natural that members of the civil society would want to know what is happening. We felt that he should come and explain what economic freedom is and what nationalization of mines is as many people are not clear on this. Just because he is under attack, that does not mean ANC youth league programmes should stop,” he said.

The member, who declined to be identified, said Malema was invited as an ordinary member of the public and not as president of the youth league.

"Even during [former president Thabo] Mbeki era, the youth league president was never expelled. Even his predecessor Fikile Mbalula was never expelled. Yet, all the league presidents did make mistakes.

“We believe that [Malema] is being targeted since the party is building towards its elective conference in Mangaung,” the friend said.

Founders said the new organisation would offer Malema unwavering support and seek to advance his campaigns for nationalisation and economic freedom.

“Malema had been championing the two programmes. When charges were levelled against him, he was never given a chance to state his side of the story. What is evident is that the youth league and its president has increasingly come under fire from the mother body.

“The ANC NEC has even refused to sit down with the youth league since last year,” he said.

Malema was expected to visit AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo at his Bumbane Great Place near Mthatha today (Thursday) and to address a rally at Walter Sisulu University Stadium in Mthatha at noon.

- The Dispatch

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Thu Jun 20 09:03:14 SAST 2013 ::

May 3, 2012

zaco'z

Thank God this world is not my home....i am just passing through, the treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the moon_ The angels beckon me in heaven's open door and i cant feel at home in this world anymore.... Julius will join me, will embark on the path less travelled

come jesus come!

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May 3, 2012

life1703

What is in this young bully man's mind?Lack of respect to elders and misleading young people with evil minds.Our youth needs good guidance but with that of a level headed man/woman.Ngwana yo o tlhogo kgolo, o sira rraagwe!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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May 3, 2012

TheDictator

Ya ne!When days are few,friends are dark...........
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May 3, 2012

somaartakeit

shem malema, you should have brought cows and tractors as I understand it they have a huge influence, lol alas zuma beat you to it...lol
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May 3, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

And the skoonbans choir sings along!! I find this amzing that those in support of the expeld member do not want to be known I wonder why. The youth league is leaderless and stupid when FRIENDS OF JZ was formed JZ was still in the ANC, but now these young lings are establishing the same thing for an expelt member how blind. Now I know why they say the young ones must wait their turn!!!!!These mor0ns still have a long way to go!!!
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May 3, 2012

Kimsho

Malema aint you get tired, try somewhere now. you got popularity and money use it wiser as it is your last pocket money. your frendz will fight for you, and you 4get ANC was there even b4 yo louzy father and u come with yo lame revolutionary. Revolutionary se voet maarn.

Respect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hay kabi sani, kusemzantsi lana.This is not the former Vhenda
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May 3, 2012

sandil41

This is another sign of Malema trying to be bigger than the ANC

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May 3, 2012

morore

The reality is: JUJU is the main man in South Africa. All these cowards with the toothless mouths they are just critics. They are not militant, and not even doing anything towards the struggle. They should MAN_UP
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May 3, 2012

s.cold

iye ye malema he is not welcome in polokwane,kzn,eastern cape,mpumalanga,,,,,uzonya malema akusikhona kini la
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May 3, 2012

FreeSpeech

Why does Mr. Malema still think that anybody would want to listen to what he says?
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