We are so encouraged, so elated and deeply touched by the decision handed down today. We believe Mr Malema had become a liability not only to the ANC and South Africa but to the region and Africa as a continent. His outbursts and unabated rumblings over sovereign states had stirred anger in this region.
We have always said, and will repeat it again here, that we have no respect for a young man who does not understand the difference between politics and comedy. His lack of understanding for international law and relations has come to haunt him unceremoniously.
Malema is not victim of circumstances. We believe his suspension is not motivated by his lobbying for radical policies, but the manner in which his has presented himself to the world. He is the author of his own demise. We suspect the long play record that started with his hate speech hearing might not actually be over yet. There are more songs coming his way, he should dance until the record is finished.
We hope that this decision will change the political landscape, thought process and tradition for young people, not only in South Africa, but in the region as a whole. The ANCYL has presented itself as a trend setter and a leader, but the way Mr Malema had sought to drive that cause is way intolerable. He had become an enemy of peace and stability in the region.
This decision is a clear message to young people out there. Young people must behave responsibly. They should know where the boundaries end and begin. Young people must understand the communities they live in. They should move with time and be intellectually acute. Miscalculations can be very costly.
In SADC we need progressive young people that foster unity and cohesion. Young people must lobby and support sustainable developmental initiatives within the demands and dictates of our communities. Radicalism for the sake of radicalism is not an intellectually stimulating way of discussing and debating issues that affect our region. We need young people that can play a significant role in appropriately and adequately dealing with issues that affect our region without threatening war and violence or causing instability.
This is a lesson to the region, that it should not only be a right for young people to go to school but must be made a legal requirement for them to attain basic education. This is an important demand of the society we live in today, especially for young leaders. The MDC Youth Assembly President Solomon Madzore, currently being harassed by ZANU-PF, often says “young people do not have an excuse for not reading and studying, they must read”
We hope the ANCYL will now begin to see the light and behave more responsibly. They should lobby for sustainable development and the upliftment of our people, using progressive methods and tactics which do not stir hatred, violence and undermine the dictates of a democratic society.
Above all, the ANCYL should immediately throw away the notes they got from ZANU-PF. They should proceed to renounce ZANU-PF as their coach. ZANU-PF is not a political party; it’s a criminal enterprise which is what Malema was turning the ANCYL into, because of his links with ZANU.PF.
The MDC is a people’s party driven by the wishes and aspirations of Zimbabweans who for long have endured the brunt of a dictatorship which Malema has purported to support and along the way becoming overzealous and irresponsible, therefore losing touch with reality.
Post published in: Africa News