Battle lines drawn for Juju

Julius Malema will be fighting the battle of his political life today - clinging on to his ANC membership card and his position as South Africa's most influential youth leader.

Barely 14 months after being subjected to a disciplinary hearing for his rabble-rousing, Malema is again facing the music for tarnishing the ruling party's reputation.

In May last year, Malema fought tooth and nail to escape prosecution by the ANC for a range of ill-disciplined behaviour.

He was hauled before a disciplinary committee following his controversial trip to Zimbabwe, where he declared the ANC's support for President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF, and for defying ANC orders not to sing racially divisive struggle songs or comment on the death of right-wing extremist Eugene Terreblanche.

The 30-year-old was further charged with publicly insinuating that Zuma was worse than his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki. He was also charged with bringing the ANC into disrepute by verbally abusing BBC journalist Jonah Fisher at a press conference in April last year.

The ANC national disciplinary committee, chaired by Deputy Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom, was eventually forced to drop most of the charges after the charge sheet was found to be irregular and contaminated.

Malema's legal representatives at the hearing, who included ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa and attorney Themba Langa, had argued that the charges were in violation of the party's constitution because they were drawn up by secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, and not the case's prosecutor, Uriel Abrahamse.

A new charge sheet was formulated. Though cleared of the main charges, substantial sanctions were imposed on Malema. He was sentenced to attend anger-management classes and pay a R10000 fine.

Most significantly, he was ordered to make a public apology for sowing disunity in ANC ranks and to attend "a political school".

In his apology, Malema said: "I, Julius Malema, apologise to the president of the ANC and the Republic, Comrade Jacob Zuma, and to the membership of the ANC and the public in general for the statements and utterances that I made . implying that the ANC Youth League has taken a position against the president of the ANC.

"I make this apology unconditionally as I accept that, as a leader . my conduct and public utterances should at all times reflect respect and restraint. I accept one of the key principles of congress leadership . that 'an abiding quality of leadership is to learn from mistakes, to appreciate weaknesses and to correct them'."

Abrahamse will be presenting today's case, but Malema has vowed to put up a fight - most evident by acquiring the services of two senior advocates, Patric Mtshaulana and Terry Motau from Duma Nokwe Group of advocates.