[image: Business Day]
*Malema guilty plea could cut hearing short* *Karima Brown, Business Day, Johannesburg, 11 May 2010** * AFRICAN National Congress (ANC) Youth League leader Julius Malema’s disciplinary hearing resumes today, days before the party’s monthly national executive committee meeting, which starts on Friday. Malema, represented by ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa, has to answer to charges of bringing the party into disrepute and defying its leadership. These were brought after he had taunted President Jacob Zuma , who had publicly rebuked him over comments on Zimbabwe and his verbal abuse of a BBC journalist at a youth league press conference. If Malema pleads guilty today in exchange for a suspended sentence, as is expected, the proceedings will be wrapped up before the executive committee gathering. This will save the ANC’s top brass from having to choose between Malema and Zuma over the issue. If found guilty, Malema faces several varieties of sanction. These could include a public reprimand , being told to attend “political school” on how to deport himself, and a public apology to Zuma. Malema may also be told that if he is found guilty of similar offences in the future he could face summary suspension from the party. It is understood that Phosa has been assisted by lawyers Themba Langa and SABC board member Clifford Motsepe, who formed Malema’s defence team. The three are again expected to be at Malema’s side today when he faces off with the disciplinary committee chaired by Deputy Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom . Phosa has reportedly advised Malema to plead guilty to some of the charges in order to get off lightly, amid efforts to reach some form of compromise ahead of the executive committee gathering. However, if Malema chooses to contest the matter, it is likely the disciplinary committee will hear testimony of witnesses, turning it into a long, drawn-out process. The ANC leadership appears to want to avoid a lengthy battle of wills, especially since the matter has divided the ANC at the very top. At last Monday’s sitting of the disciplinary committee, Malema’s team successfully argued that Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane had to recuse himself from the proceedings amid statements that he could not be impartial. The meeting did, however, form a quorum despite Chabane’s premature departure. Last week, Malema’s camp tried unsuccessfully to intimate that ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe was the originator of the charges, and Zuma had little to do with them. It is understood that Phosa’s efforts to intimate that Mantashe had acted without Zuma’s consent did not hold up, with Hanekom satisfied that the charges against Malema had been initiated by officials who included Zuma. Business Day also understands that the plea-bargain agreement between the prosecution and the defence was agreed upon after it had been suggested in last week’s national working committee meeting by Justice Minister Jeff Radebe . [email protected] *From: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=108509* -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
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