South Africa:  Zuma urges ANC to help Malema, not banish him

Jacob Zuma, South African President

South Africa:  Zuma urges ANC to help Malema, not banish him
Funke Atohengbe, Pretoria (with agency reports)

South African President, Jacob Zuma, says the ruling African National Congress (ANC) does not plan to throw its Youth League leader, Julius Malema out of the party but that he should be helped "to do the right things" rather than be punished.

Zuma, who won power with the backing of Malema and the ANC Youth League, said in an interview with reporters that Malema's removal was not the ANC's goal.

Appeal for help

"No, I don't think that should be the objective. I think the objective is how do you help Malema? Because Malema has a lot of elements that are good in him. The ANC never gives up on people. It has patience. I think what we should do is help Malema", Zuma appealed.

"If you are like Malema, you've got to be finding new issues all the time, because you get used to impressing people; they must be clapping hands for you, and that's when you make a lot of mistakes because you say a lot of wrong things", he added.

The comments were Zuma’s first since the start of the disciplinary action and the strongest indication that Malema would not be suspended from the party, which would have ended his political career.

Zuma faces a major ANC meeting in late 2012 when the party that dominates the country's politics elects its leaders.

 Analysts say he would be in a strong position for re-election if Malema is sidelined but could struggle if Malema stays in the ANC and supports Zuma's rivals for the top job.

The charge

Malema, 30, is facing an internal African National Congress disciplinary hearing on charges of bringing the party into disrepute and of sowing division in party ranks.

The hearing is widely seen as a showdown with Zuma and which could see Malema suspended from the ANC if found guilty.

Investors’ concerns

Malema's calls for the nationalisation of South Africa's mines and the seizure of white-owned land has unnerved investors, and at the weekend he made clear he had no intention of backing down from inflammatory comments when he declared "economic war" on the country's white minority.

Guilty of hate speech

Malema was on Monday found guilty of hate speech for singing an apartheid-era song calling for the killing of white farmers in a separate civil court case and was ordered to pay some of the costs in the case which did not carry a criminal penalty.

ANC’s reaction to the court ruling

ANC Spokesperson, Jackson Mthembu said the party was appalled by the ruling and viewed it as an attempt to rewrite the history of South Africa which, he said, was not desirable and sustainable.

Mthembu said the ANC would study the judgment carefully and understand the full implications before releasing a comprehensive response.

Criminalization of ANC

A member of the ANC’s armed wing, Mkhonto we Sizwe Veterans’ Association, Ayanda Ndlodlo said the judgment had criminalized the legacy of the ANC.

Judge Collin Lamont had ruled that the words undermined the dignity of people and were discriminatory and harmful.

“No justification exists allowing the words to be sung….the words were in any event not sung on a justifiable occasion”, Judge Lamont said.

“Shoot the Boer”

He said in determining the outcome of the case, the court had to analyze the meaning of the words in the “Shoot the Boer “song and its effects on the society.

Afri -forum, a Boer Rights Group sued the ANC Youth League President, Julius Malema to court to challenge the singing of ‘DUBULA IBUNU’.

The ANC has vowed to challenge the ruling until it is overturned.

Shakira/Ekata