ANC cripples Malema nationalisation drive

[miningmx.com] — JULIUS Malema, president of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), the movement that has popularised calls for the nationalisation of South Africa’s mining industry, has been suspended from the organisation for five years.

This is in terms of sanctions handed down by the ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC), chaired by ANC minister Derek Hanekom, who said from the ANC’s Johannesburg’s headquarters, Luthuli House, that Malema had 14 days to appeal the judgements and sanctions.

Hanekom read from a 126 page disciplinary report which featured five separate hearings into a raft of alleged misconduct charges perpetrated by Malema and his erstwhile colleague, Floyd Shivambu.

The fatal blow delivered to Malema’s continued participation in the ANCYL, however, was that he was guilty of four acts of sowing disunity in the organisation, defying its top 6 officials, and bringing the ANC into disrepute.

For this, Malema was suspended for two and five years from the ANCYL – sanctions that will run concurrently. Shivambu, who like Malema made inflammatory comments regarding regime change in Botswana, was suspended from the ANCYL for three years.

The NDC’s findings come only weeks before a governmental fact finding team, known as the State Intervention in the Mineral Sector (SIMS), presents a report to the ANC’s National Executive Committee regarding levels of state intervention in the respective mining economies of 13 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.

It is thought that Malema’s suspension from the ANCYL may dampen the movement for nationalisation of the mining sector, and even clarify what South Africa’s government is attempting to achieve from its SIMS: state intervention in the mining industry, but not full blown nationalisation.

However, if Malema appeals the judgements and severity of sanctions against him, it may enable him to retain his position in the ANCYL well into June next year.

This is when the ANC meets to discuss and adopt policies, including nationalisation or more profound state intervention in the mining industry, ahead of its National Convention in December 2012.

International investment

In outlining charges from two of the hearings, Hanekom said that Malema and Shivambu had hurt South Africa’s reputation internationally, and harmed its future investment prospects.

For instance in uttering libellous comments about public enterprises minister, Malusi Gigaba, Shivambu had prejudiced the ANC and produced possible negative effects for South Africa in a context where foreign investment was hard to find, said Hanekom.

Similarly, in asking for regime change in Botswana, which Malema said had been cooperating with imperialists, South Africa’s international relationships had been eroded from which it would take years to recover, said Hanekom.

Other charges levelled against Malema and Shivambu, such as disrupting important ANC meetings, attracted suspended sentences.

Should Malema appeal the judgements against him, he would put himself before mining and industry magnate, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is chairman of the National Appeals Committee.