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Non-violence is best, ANCYL leader tells Zim

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has called on the youth wing of Zimbabwe's ruling party, Zanu-PF, to desist from using violence to intimidate political opponents.

He said the youth league had invited Zanu-PF youth leaders to South Africa ahead of next year's local government elections - to witness the strategies used by the ANC in its election campaigns, rallies and mass mobilisation.

"One of the things we identified was that Zanu-PF does not have structures on the ground and we told them there was no way they could win elections.

"We said: 'send your people to South Africa and we are prepared to train them on ground mobilisation and how to win the battle of ideas and how to persuade people to buy into these noble ideas you have'."

"That point has also been made to President (Robert) Mugabe that we are not supporting any form of violence.

"People must be aggressive but that does not mean people must take up pangas and go and cut heads and hands and take out ears of those they do not agree with."

Malema said the league had learnt never to resort to violence in its quest to nationalise South Africa's mines.

He said the ANCYL would continue to support Zanu-PF and help it to stay in power - regardless of the outcome of President Jacob Zuma's mediation efforts in that country.

"We want Zanu-PF to be retained in power," he said.

Malema justified not meeting the two factions of the MDC while in Zimbabwe last week, saying the ANCYL did not have a shared history with them.

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