In an exclusive article in today's Sunday World, the suspended youth league president said the action against him by the ANC national disciplinary committee showed that the party's "culture of tolerance and calculated patience is being put to the test".

Malema said that instead of going to the disciplinary committee, President Jacob Zuma and other senior party leaders should have sought political engagement with the league.

"The ANCYL believes various factors contributed to the manner in which the ANC handled the disciplinary case. Among these is the fear of change, which is characteristic of not only older generations in the ANC, but older people across political parties who choose to conserve truths of the past," he said.

"The league is at the forefront of challenging the status quo with regard to South Africa's economy, particularly as it relates to who owns and controls the economy ...

"Any voice that contradicts the status quo is vulgarised, banished and treated with disdain," Malema said.

"This has defined how the media relates to the league leadership and, to a certain extent, influenced the leadership of the ANC and government into believing the league is a problem."

Malema said his popularity, as well as the youth league's high profile, made some ANC and government leaders feel overshadowed.

"This has led to some in leadership feeling they are being outshone by the league on critical policy issues ...

"As a way of trying to shift the spotlight on critical policy issues, a suspension is unleashed on the youth league leadership."