ANCYL talks war

Supporters of expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema - in an outright show of anger - are finalising a defiance campaign against the ANC.

They want their leader back in power.

They have gone so far as threatening to "take up arms" to overturn the ANC's decision to expel him.

Barely 24 hours after Malema was given the boot for bringing the ANC into disrepute and sowing divisions within its ranks, thousands of his supporters are gathering against the mother body in a full show of force.

Provincial youth structures were yesterday devising aggressive "war plans" and were mobilising tens of thousands of their members to "send out a stern message that we will not be bullied".

Malema, ANC Youth League spokesman Floyd Shivambu and secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa unsuccessfully appealed against their suspensions after ANC leaders charged them with ill-discipline.

In a statement, the youth league said: ''This too shall pass - aluta continua!"

The provincial leaderships of Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga and Western Cape have pledged their "unwavering support" to Malema and have held emergency meetings to get their campaign started.

Today, the Eastern Cape's OR Tambo region will convene to garner more support from its structures - this province alone has 126000 unaudited youth league members.

Limpopo, Malema's home province, and KwaZulu-Natal - though divided in their support for the embattled leader - have joined the defiance campaign.

Said Eastern Cape league spokesman Nkosinathi Nomatiti: "We will fight to the bitter end. It's not just about Malema but about the entire youth league.

"All economic freedom fighters are ready to take up arms, even if this means we are all expelled," said Nomatiti.

He said the fight was not over.

A special meeting of the youth league's national executive committee has been called for Sunday to seek guidance on the way forward.

By yesterday afternoon, it had emerged that the provinces would launch several programmes, including:

Convening back-to-back public gatherings across provinces to stress that "What happened is not right";

Having Malema and other youth league leaders travel the country to drum up support; and

Holding demonstrations outside ANC provincial headquarters.

All this, said provincial leaders, would culminate in a protest outside Luthuli House, the ANC national HQ in Johannesburg, either before Malema's appeal to the ANC's national disciplinary committee of appeals, which is due in 13 days, or on the day the verdict is announced.

"If you think the chaos at Luthuli House last year was big, then wait and see what lies ahead," warned one provincial leader.

In Gauteng, some members said government departments should also be targeted.

The clandestine plans were unfolding on the same day that the ANC deliberated the issue of discipline at its political school in Irene, Pretoria.

Western Cape's Senzeni Mphila dared the ANC to expel all youth league members from the party on the basis that Malema - through the pronouncements that got him into trouble - spoke on behalf of the entire youth organisation.

Limpopo's league treasurer, Rudzani Ludere, said only league members could decide on the future of their leader "through internal processes".

"We wish to state that the [ANC national disciplinary committee's] decision to expel the ANCYL president and suspend the memberships of Shivambu and Magaqa is unacceptable to the youth league of Limpopo," Ludere said.

According to the youth league, the disciplinary action against Malema was politically motivated and meant to settle political battles within the ANC ahead of its elective conference in Mangaung in December.

"We are aware that there are some people in the ANC who believe that, by removing certain leaders of the ANCYL, they will be able to suppress and undermine political and ideological struggles of the league," said Ludere.

Free State league secretary Lebogang Magoera, said: "The fact that the ANC had refused to engage with us was a clear indication that they wanted to isolate Malema. But we will continue to treat him as our president."

Pro-Malema KwaZulu-Natal convener Vukani Ndlovu said avenues would be explored to ensure that Malema remained the league's president.

But while Malema's supporters were making plans to defend him, a surge of anti-Malema sentiment was spreading in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

KwaZulu-Natal ANCYL chairman Mthandeni Dlungwane said the league was happy that the party had taken such a bold step against Malema.

"Many similar decisions have been taken by the organisation in its 100 years. The decisions are painful to some people but the ANC has spoken.

"He is not the first one."