Johannesburg - Outspoken ANC youth leader Julius Malema made a public apology and must pay a fine over charges of bringing the party into disrepute, the ANC said on Tuesday.
Malema had defied calls from President Jacob Zuma to cease making inflammatory and racially tinged comments.
He was hauled before the ANC disciplinary hearing last week for publicly supporting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, calling a BBC journalist a "bastard" and a "bloody agent", and singing "shoot the boer" after it was banned.
The ANC said in a statement after the hearing that the above three charges against Malema were dropped after he accepted a plea bargain. But he was found guilty of another charge of criticising Zuma's decision to rebuke him.
"The national disciplinary committee ruled ... Julius Malema shall make a public apology to the president of the ANC, the ANC and the public in general," the party said in a statement.
'Sends a strong message'
He would also pay a R10 000 fine to a youth development project and attend anger management classes. He would be suspended from the ANC if found guilty again within two years.
ANC spokesperson Brian Sokutu told News24 that the party's ruling "sends a very strong message".
But while it may initially damage his image, it will keep the ANC Youth League president at the heart of South African politics.
Malema's inflammatory statements have unnerved foreign investors and many in the country. He has no policy-making role but has become prominent through his racial rhetoric.
In his statement of apology, Malema said he was sorry for criticising Zuma's rebuke, saying his remarks had undermined the stature of the president and had created divisions within the ANC.
"I make this apology unconditionally as I accept that as a leader of the ANC and of the ANC Youth League my conduct and public utterances should at all times reflect respect and restraint," he said.
Malema had defied calls from President Jacob Zuma to cease making inflammatory and racially tinged comments.
He was hauled before the ANC disciplinary hearing last week for publicly supporting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, calling a BBC journalist a "bastard" and a "bloody agent", and singing "shoot the boer" after it was banned.
The ANC said in a statement after the hearing that the above three charges against Malema were dropped after he accepted a plea bargain. But he was found guilty of another charge of criticising Zuma's decision to rebuke him.
"The national disciplinary committee ruled ... Julius Malema shall make a public apology to the president of the ANC, the ANC and the public in general," the party said in a statement.
'Sends a strong message'
He would also pay a R10 000 fine to a youth development project and attend anger management classes. He would be suspended from the ANC if found guilty again within two years.
ANC spokesperson Brian Sokutu told News24 that the party's ruling "sends a very strong message".
But while it may initially damage his image, it will keep the ANC Youth League president at the heart of South African politics.
Malema's inflammatory statements have unnerved foreign investors and many in the country. He has no policy-making role but has become prominent through his racial rhetoric.
In his statement of apology, Malema said he was sorry for criticising Zuma's rebuke, saying his remarks had undermined the stature of the president and had created divisions within the ANC.
"I make this apology unconditionally as I accept that as a leader of the ANC and of the ANC Youth League my conduct and public utterances should at all times reflect respect and restraint," he said.
- SAPA
No comments:
Post a Comment