23/04/2012
Embattled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema may be facing an uncertain political future at home, but youth bodies in other African states have rallied behind him in his bid to be elected as vice-president of the International Union of Socialist Youth in its conference.
Malema, who has been fighting for his political life following his expulsion from the youth league, has been nominated for the post by youth organisations, among others, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. Other countries that support him include Germany, Cuba, Russia, Sweden, Brazil and Venezuela.
Malema's supporters believe it would afford him the platform to articulate his political views and lobby for youth development and job creation. They also believe Malema is the right man to "radicalise" the international body and "fight imperialism" globally.
The union is the biggest political youth organisation in the world and has about 150 member organisations in 100 countries. The position could give Malema a new media platform after the ANC barred him from speaking at any of its forums. Former youth league president Fikile Mbalula is one of its past presidents.
The Mail & Guardian has established that a high-level delegation of youth league national executive committee members, led by deputy president Ronald Lamola, has left for Paraguay where the three-day conference is taking place. It starts on Friday and voting is on Saturday. Malema will not be attending the conference because of commitments at home.
Although many of the African countries affiliated to the union want Malema to take over as president, his aides prefer the less taxing job of vice-president, which is currently occupied by former youth league secretary general Vuyiswa Tulelo. If the parties agree that Malema should take the vice-president position, he will be elected unopposed. The youth league has convinced Mozambique to shelve its ambition of nominating its own candidate as Africa's preferred choice.
Lesley Ncube, secretary general of Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF youth wing, this week expressed the party's unwavering support for Malema. "Look, Julius Malema is a revolutionary comrade.
We are in solidarity with him and we respect the internal processes of the ANC. He is pushing a pro-poor agenda and let him push it right across the world, being guided by the manifesto [decided at the conference]," said Ncube.
Some want Malema to be based full time at the union headquarters in Vienna, Austria, for his own safety and to avoid political conflict at home. Despite this, his political allies believe he should continue to challenge the ANC's decision to expel him, regardless of where he is based. Although the ANC's national disciplinary committee of appeal, chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa, is likely to uphold the judgment by the national disciplinary committee, Malema can still petition the ANC's national executive committee to review the verdict or the party's all-powerful national conference to reverse the decision to expel him.
Ramaphosa this week rejected Malema's appeal to have his temporary suspension overturned, stating that the decision was meant to prevent Malema from continuing his public attacks on the ANC leadership.
The appeals committee is expected to announce its decision in the next week or two.
