ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema has denied he is gunning for President Jacob Zuma, or that the league is the puppet of ambitious ANC leaders who want the organisation’s backing in the run-up to the party’s elective congress in 2012.
At a briefing in Joburg on preparations for the league’s elective congress from Thursday to Sunday next week, Malema told journalists yesterday there was no fight between the league and Zuma.
“These people going around saying we don’t want President Zuma, they are using President Zuma to campaign against us. There is no fight between this organisation and President Zuma,” he said.
Malema’s praise for former president Thabo Mbeki’s leadership in his address to a Limpopo youth league gathering over the weekend was interpreted as yet another swipe at Zuma’s leadership, and it has been rumoured that the league would gun for Zuma in the run-up to the ANC’s congress in Mangaung next year, despite spearheading his campaign for election in 2007.
Malema was disciplined last year for saying Mbeki was a better leader than Zuma, and he has followed this up with indirect criticism of Zuma, such as criticising polygamy, which is practised by Zuma.
Malema has also openly expressed his support for his predecessor, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, to take over the reins from ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe next year.
Malema yesterday denied rumours spread by some within the league that Mbeki would address next week’s congress at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.
Zuma and his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, would be the only ones representing the ANC, he said.
“There is one president of the ANC, and that is Jacob Zuma, and he will not be contested. If you want to suffer political humiliation, you will contest President Zuma between now and the 2012 congress of the ANC,” he added.
Malema also repeated what he said last year when he compared Zuma to Mbeki: “We have seen enemies becoming closer friends, but we know in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies.”
He denied, however, that the league’s congress would have a bearing on the ANC’s leadership elections. “President Zuma is not a candidate of (this) congress,” he said.
For this reason, the congress could not spell the end of Zuma, Malema said.
Turning to his own race for leadership, Malema said the conference would be “the end of me”. If he was re-elected, he would be the “new president” and a “new person” with a “fresh life and a fresh mandate”.
At least four provinces have so far formally declared their support for Malema, with two others saying they were likely to come to the same conclusion at their provincial general councils this weekend.
Malema challenged his contender, the league’s Gauteng chairman and Sports MEC Lebogang Maile, without mentioning him by name, by saying anybody who wanted to be elected youth league leader needed “numbers” of people to vote for him.
Malema promised that the league’s conference, where 5 500 delegates are expected, would be without disruption.
“There are people who are interested to see that conference not succeeding.”
He said the league would handle its own security and no police or intelligence officials would be allowed inside the venue. “We are responsible for the conference.”
Malema hinted, however, that disciplinary action would be taken after the conference – “not now” – against those who stepped out of line in the run-up to the conference.
He said despite accusations that he went around suspending people, only former Limpopo leader Lehlogonolo Masoga had been suspended.
Malema said Mbalula, in his time as youth leader, had expelled more than 20 people from the organisation, including his deputy, Ruben Mohlaloga.