Respect Malema decision: ANCWL, DA

The decision to expel ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema should be respected for the sake of preventing further damage to the ruling party, the ANC Women's League said on Thursday.

"The ANCWL feels it is unfortunate that it had to come to this, where a member was expelled from the organisation, however we believe the decision of the ANC should be respected and upheld," it said.

"The [national disciplinary committee] is an important ANC structure and we call on all structures of the ANC to respect the outcomes of this process and refrain from damaging the organisation's unity and reputation further."

ANC Women's League spokeswoman Troy Martens would not elaborate on the damage to the ANC's reputation. This was all the ANCWL wanted to say on the matter.

ANCWL national executive committee member Winnie Madikizela-Mandela supported Malema last year by sitting with him during his hate speech trial at the High Court in Johannesburg.

She later introduced him to crowds gathered outside the court as the country's future president.

On February 4, after the national disciplinary committee's (NDC) findings were released, the three visited Madikizela-Mandela at her home in Soweto.

Malema was expelled from the ANC on Wednesday, but has two weeks to appeal the decision. The NDC found Malema guilty of sowing division in the party and of bringing the organisation into disrepute.

This was for expressing his personal views in comparing the leadership style of President Jacob Zuma unfavourably to former president Thabo Mbeki, and for making statements reflecting his personal views on bringing about regime change in Botswana, at an ANCYL press conference on July 31, 2011.

ANCYL spokesman Floyd Shivambu was suspended from the ANC for three years for swearing at a journalist and for issuing a statement supporting a change of government in Botswana, in contradiction of ANC policy.

Secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa's membership was suspended for three years, but the sanction itself was suspended for three years, provided he apologises to Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba within 15 days, and there are no other party offences during the period of suspension.

The NDC found that Magaqa had undermined the effectiveness of the ANC as a ruling party, and Gigaba when he accused him of "pleasing imperialists" by reiterating the government's stance that there were no plans to nationalise mines.

They have 14 days to appeal.

The Democratic Alliance has also said that the decision must be upheld.

"We urge all involved to respect the internal processes of the ruling party so that South Africa can now move beyond the period of sensationalist, bully politics that characterised Julius Malema's tenure and turn its attention to the many substantive issues facing the youth."

These issues ranged from massive youth unemployment to a lack of access to tertiary education and a generation of primary school pupils who were scarcely numerate or literate, DA Youth leader Makashule Gana said.

"Julius Malema was a polarising force in South Africa and the DA Youth will now ensure that the focus is on building a united, non-racial, open opportunity future," Gana said.