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Last Updated: Oct 10, 2008 - 12:41:13 PM |
The league is threatening to "fight" if dissidents use the ruling
party's name for their new party, and that ANC structures are on the
alert to defend the organisation.
ANC Youth League president Julius Malema threatened Lekota and former
deputy defence minister Mluleki George, saying they could leave the
party if they wanted to, "but they should not take the ANC with them".
'We don't have time to entertain Lekota and his people' "We must warn
them they must never use the name of the ANC. Never. That is going to
make us fight with them," said Malema.
Ironically, Lekota cited Malema's reckless invectives as one of the
reasons they wanted to leave the ANC.
Malema said Lekota's intention to form another party was the "highest
form of right-wing" opportunism and warned that they were ready for
them.
"Counter-revolutionary forces are all out to destroy the ANC. Our
responsibility as young revolutionaries is to defend the revolution.
"So defenders of the revolution are all over the branches guarding
against these shenanigans, ready to defend the ANC and not ready to
listen to them, but ready to dismiss them because we don't have time to
entertain Lekota and his people.
'It is a pity that he is so predictable' "We are waiting for anybody
who wants to disrupt the activities of the ANC, that person will find
us ready," said Malema.
However, Malema said Lekota should fight from within the ANC.
"We felt the same way when (ANC President Jacob) Zuma was released from
Cabinet.
"We were very angry and bitter... we fought from within. We went to the
national general council of the ANC and reinstated Zuma," he said.
Malema said Lekota and George were "cowards" running away from a fight.
"They don't have strength to fight. They don't have support inside the
ANC. If you've got this huge support which you are going to be taking
from the ANC, why not use that support in the ANC and remove Zuma? Why
can't you stay and fight from inside and put your own person. If Terror
is going to be the presidential candidate of his party they have
already lost because they would be led by a loser," said Malema.
George declined to respond, saying Malema should "continue with his
insults". "We expected Malema to do exactly what he is doing. We knew
that he was going to go on this rampage of insulting us. It is a pity
that he is so predictable. He has insulted everybody anyway in South
Africa, we are not going to insult back," said George.
Youth League secretary-general, Vuyiswa Tulelo said Lekota should not
accuse the ANC of tribalism because he was a tribalist himself.
"When he was Premier of the Free State he was going up and down telling
people to vote for him on the basis of him being Sotho-speaking. He was
telling members of the ANC that the ANC had been in the hands of the
Ngunis for too long," said Tulelo.
Lekota could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, a meeting between Lekota and ANC treasurer-general Mathews
Phosa turned out to be a squabble about time confirmation.
They were supposed to meet on Thursday after the ruling party decided
to "engage" in reconciliatory talks with its former chairman.
However, the ANC said Lekota did not pitch. "The ANC delegation led by
the treasurer, Mathews Phosa waited from 10am for a pre-arranged
meeting with Comrade Lekota.
"This meeting was confirmed telephonically and Comrade Lekota undertook
to attend. The ANC wishes to place on record that Comrade Lekota failed
to come to the meeting and did not notify the ANC about his
unavailability," said ANC spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi.
However, Lekota told a Johannesburg radio station that Phosa never
confirmed time, saying he was ready to meet the ANC.
Lekota was seen in Fourways, northwest of Johannesburg, with former
Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa. Shilowa could not be reached for
comment.
Source:Ocnus.net 2008
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