ANCYL adamant Juju not called to hearing

The ANC expects Julius Malema to appear before its disciplinary committee today, despite the youth league saying that its leader has not been summoned to account for his actions.

ANC Youth League spokesman Magdalene Moonsamy was quoted as saying: "If he has [received the summons], it's something I'm not aware of."

Another Youth League spokesman, Floyd Shivambu, reinforced the message: "The [league] does not know anything about a [disciplinary hearing] that our president must attend tomorrow [Monday].

"As far as we are concerned, he is not appearing anywhere. Those who say he is to plead are talking rubbish."

Shivambu said the league's interaction with the ANC was private.

The youth league's secretary-general, Vuyiswa Tutelo, also said she knew nothing about a disciplinary hearing.

But ANC disciplinary committee chairman Derek Hanekom said Malema was expected to attend the hearing at Luthuli House, the party's headquarters, in Johannesburg, today.

"I am not sure what Malema is saying. All I know is that he has been served with a notice and we expect him on Monday," newspaper reports quoted Hanekom as saying.

The Sunday Times yesterday reported that Malema was expected to plead guilty to, among other charges:

• Bringing the ANC and the government into disrepute with his remarks about Zimbabwean politics during his visit to that country. Malema endorsed the ruling Zanu-PF and attacked the rival Movement for Democratic Change, putting in jeopardy President Jacob Zuma's efforts to act as a neutral mediator;

• Malema responded to a dressing down by Zuma, who called his remarks "alien" to the culture of the ANC, by saying that former president Thabo Mbeki had never rebuked the youth league in such a manner. Zuma's remarks followed Malema's verbal abuse of a BBC journalist, whom he called a "bastard" and a "bloody agent";

• Malema said that murdered AWB leader Eugene Terre Blanche had died before changing his racist behaviour.

The ANC is to press ahead with the disciplinary hearing despite the youth league telling the ANC that it should be abandoned.

The members of the disciplinary committee that will hear Malema's case include Zola Skweyiya, high commissioner to the UK; Zuma's parliamentary counsellor, Ayanda Dlodlo; South Africa's former ambassador to Poland Febe Potgieter-Gqubule; Minister of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Collins Chabane; and Minister of Mining Susan Shabangu.

The Sunday Times reported that Malema will be represented by the ANC's treasurer-general, Mathews Phosa.

Phosa has reportedly advised Malema to plead guilty in order to get away with merely a slap on the wrist.