Malema & Co still standing

Julius Malema is down, but he is not out - not yet.

The ANC Youth League president walked out of an exam room in Polokwane yesterday to the news that his membership in a party he has served for years has been suspended. Malema will remain in office until his suspension kicks in.

Addressing a crowd of supporters after his exam in Limpopo, Malema said he would appeal.

The national disciplinary committee slapped him with a five-year suspension after finding him guilty of bringing the party into disrepute in relation to a statement he made at a press conference after the league's national executive committee meeting on July 31.

He said the league would send a "command team" to Botswana to assist opposition parties to topple President Ian Khama's government.

Malema was also found to have undermined President Jacob Zuma - even though he did not mention him by name - when he said former president Thabo Mbeki used to represent the African agenda well in the AU and SADC, when he said: "The African agenda is generally no longer a priority, and we think that there is a temptation by the coloniser and the imperialist to want to recolonise Africa in a different but sophisticated way - and president Mbeki stood opposed to that kind of conduct."

ANC national disciplinary committee chairman Derek Hanekom said the utterances were "careless, negligent and reckless", brought the ANC into disrepute, and "impacted negatively on SA's relations with Botswana, SADC and AU".

Malema was also suspended for two years for contravening a May 2010 condition made by the same committee. The two sentences will run concurrently.

Last year, Malema was found guilty of sowing disunity within the party ranks after he had said Zuma was worse than Mbeki. At the time, Malema escaped with a fine and was ordered to attend an anger management class and political school. Hanekom said at the time that, should Malema be found guilty of the same offence, he would be suspended. Yesterday, Hanekom told The Times that Malema would "remain president of the youth league until the appeals process had been exhausted".

The disciplinary committee also dished out a three-year suspension to youth league spokesman Floyd Shivambu after finding him guilty of saying "f**k you" to a Media 24 journalist in July .

Hanekom found that Shivambu's explanation, that he had been provoked, was "unjustified".

Two years ago, Shivambu reportedly called an Independent Newspapers journalist a "white bitch", a case which is still pending in the Equality Court. He also faces a R65000 lawsuit for allegedly labelling another journalist "sick", "confused" and a "drunkard".

• Youth league deputy president Ronald Lamola, treasurer-general Pule Mabe, secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa and his deputy, Kenetswe Mosenogi, were, along with Malema, found guilty and suspended for two years for disrupting a meeting of national officials - attended by, among others, Zuma and his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe. The sanction has been suspended for three years;
• Magaqa was suspended for 18 months for an "unwarranted attack" on Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba in a manner that "belittled" and had the potential of "defaming" him; and
• Malema and Shivambu both have 14 days to lodge an appeal on both the verdict and the sanctions to the national disciplinary appeals body.

Thereafter, the ANC constitution provides for the NEC to review a decision by the appeals committee.

The suspensions could also be raised at the ANC's Mangaung elective conference next year. - additional reporting by Sapa