Malema won't withdraw 'kill for Zuma' statement

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) on Wednesday insisted that its president, Julius Malema, will not withdraw his “kill for Zuma” remark following a demand from the South African Human Rights Commission.

Spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said that there was no need to withdraw the statement as Malema had already clarified the issue.

“He has already clarified the statement so many times and there is no need to withdraw the statement.”

Kodwa said: “It was their [the commission’s] ultimatum, so talk to them, but he has not withdrawn the statement as of today.”

The SAHRC on Wednesday said it had extended its ultimatum for Malema to withdraw his statement to Wednesday next week.

Spokesperson Sello Hatang said the ANC had written to the commission asking it to withdraw the ultimatum, but the commission had rejected this.

Hatang said the commission had extended the deadline to allow the ANC to resolve the matter amicably.

He said if the ANC failed to comply, the SAHRC would proceed with its constitutional mandate, which was to take the matter to court.

‘Kangaroo court’
Meanwhile, the SAHRC is behaving like a “kangaroo court” with its threats of action against those who made “kill for Zuma” remarks, the South African Communist Party (SACP) said on Wednesday.

The commission’s demand that Malema and Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi retract their “kill for Zuma” statements constituted a violation of the law, wrote SACP secretary general Blade Nzimande in the party’s online newsletter, Umsebenzi.

This was in light of the fact that the commission had not yet interviewed the two on the matter.

“In both the cases referred to here it is indeed deeply disturbing that the SAHRC never afforded any of these comrades an opportunity to be heard.

“This is a very serious violation of the Constitution, laws of natural justice and the very spirit and the letter of the Act governing the SAHRC, and practically turns the SAHRC into a kangaroo court,” he said.

The way the investigation was being conducted threatened to undermine the SAHRC’s good track record.

“The manner in which the Vavi and Malema matters have been handled by the SAHRC is deeply worrying as it threatens to erode whatever good work this commission has done before,” he wrote.

He said the commission ran the risk of becoming biased towards elites, who happened to have access to the media and legal resources.

“Such actions unjustifiably unleash the always ‘battle ready’ media lynch mob, without observance of any due process as contained in our Constitution, thus severely prejudicing the individuals concerned,” Nzimande said.—Sapa