ANC Youth League Ditches Malema To Save Itself

The ANC Youth League has resolved to ditch its former president Julius Malema in a bid to survive, towing the party line so to speak.

Malema was expelled from the ANC for indiscipline last year and his position remains vacant. This was because until now the League had backed him in a bid to get rid of president Jacob Zuma who last month retained his position as party head against Kgalema Motlanthe, their preferred candidate.

Ronald Lamola, the league’s current deputy head said that the league was preparing to fill in the vacant positions. In exchange they hoped that they would curry some favour from an ANC national executive committee (NEC) that is dominated by Zuma supporters.

Already Lamola had upset Malema by saying that the party would support whoever won the election for party leader even if it was Zuma. Malema called him a sellout.

With Mangaung not going the way Malema and the league had hoped, it would appear those still in the league now want to put their former leader behind them. This will be the final nail condemning with absolute certainty to exile from the party indefinitely.

League members have been lobbying support from NEC members to try to get them to not dissolve the current committee. They seem confident that the NEC members in question favour engagement over punishment. However there are elements who feel the league should be punished especially after some strong rethoric against Zuma last year.

Zuma is stamping his authority now.