President Jacob Zuma and his top leadership have demanded that action be taken against anyone implicated in the violence outside the party's Luthuli House headquarters in the Johannesburg city centre last week.
In a hard-hitting statement directed at supporters of ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, the ANC's national working committee said the violence "was calculated to undermine the internal organisational processes to uphold disciplined conduct of its members".
The protests were sparked by the ANC's decision to charge Malema and four other youth league leaders for bringing the party into disrepute and sowing division.
Yesterday's statement, issued by the party's secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, said the national working committee had condemned the violent protest and its organisers for damaging the organisation's reputation.
"The meeting concluded that such behaviour should not be tolerated in the organisation and should be condemned unconditionally," Mantashe said.
He said the meeting also condemned the burning of T-shirts bearing Zuma's image and the ANC flag, saying this was "a breach of everything that the ANC stands for".
Mantashe said the national working committee had also called for action to be taken ''against those who are implicated in acts of violence and criminality''.
John Moodley, the DA's Gauteng spokesman on community safety, yesterday laid a charge of incitement to public violence at the Johannesburg Central police station against Jacob Lebogo, the youth league's Limpopo provincial secretary. Lebogo has been fingered for allegedly being behind last week's riots.
The ANC's call for tough action against the rioters was endorsed by SA Communist Party deputy secretary-general Jeremy Cronin.
Speaking at the national congress of the Food and Allied Workers' Union in Johannesburg, yesterday, Cronin supported the ANC's decision to act against ill-discipline by league supporters.
Without naming Malema or members of the league executive, Cronin said those calling for nationalisation of mines were being used by "failed" and troubled BEE "tenderpreneurs" who wanted nothing but government bailouts.
His attack on the youth league comes a week after Malema's supporters burned posters bearing pictures of SACP leader Blade Nzimande. Cronin lashed out at the youth league for calling for the removal of Mantashe.
The youth league wants Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula to replace Mantashe.
Cronin said the ANC should, without interfering with internal processes, show authority and leadership in its disciplinary case against Malema and the youth league executive.
The ANC has until the end of business today to avoid an urgent application should it fail to move Malema's disciplinary hearing from the Johannesburg city centre.
In a letter to Mantashe, Johannesburg law firm BDK Attorneys warned yesterday that they would approach the Johannesburg High Court to interdict the party from continuing Malema's hearing at Luthuli House on weekdays.
The ANC's national disciplinary committee has postponed the hearing to Sunday September 11 and set aside three days for its completion.
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