The Times
*Zuma to skip Malema rally* /Leaders to celebrate Youth Day apart/ *Nkululeko Ncana, The Times, Johannesburg, 15 July 2010*President Jacob Zuma and the ANC Youth League will, for the first time in years, commemorate Youth Day at different rallies.
In the latest sign of strained relations between the president and youth league leader Julius Malema, Zuma will mark the historic day by addressing a rally organised by the National Youth Development Agency, in Mpumalanga, instead of one organised by the youth league.
Zuma will share the stage with Malema's rival, Andile Lungisa, the youth agency's chairman.
Lungisa, who is also deputy president of the ANC Youth League, is lobbying for support as Malema's successor next year.
Today, Malema will address scores of youth league faithful in Kuruman, Northern Cape. Zuma will miss the annual youth league rally for the first time since 2004.
His absence will be only months after he and Malema fell out over the youth league leader's pro-Robert Mugabe comments, which were widely seen as undermining Zuma's effort to broker a political deal between the Zimbabwean president and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change.
But Malema said yesterday that there was nothing unusual about Zuma's absence at today's event.
The Times was told the league did not invite Zuma because of the complaints about last year's rally.
"The league does not want to be seen to be monopolising the president. Last years' complaints by other parties did not bode well for the Youth Day celebrations," said a league leader.
Zuma was criticised last year for sharing the stage, in his capacity as head of state, with Malema.
The state-funded event in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, was packed with ANC supporters clad in the ruling party's colours and waving election posters printed with Zuma's face.
Youth league spokesman Paseka Letsatsi said the league "acknowledged this day as a national day" and was aware that Zuma would be at a government function.
Also absent from the youth league rally will be Manamela's counterpart from tripartite alliance partner the Young Communist League of SA.
The communists' leader, Buti Manamela, told The Times he would be attending a rally in Mamelodi, Tshwane, arranged by the provincial government.
Manamela said his office had received a late invitation from the ANC Youth League and his party would instead send provincial leaders to attend.
"I will be going to the rally in Mamelodi to listen to young people. It seems like the invitation to the youth league event came late and we can't react fast enough to attend the function when the invitation is that late," he said.
The Young Communist League is to hold its rally on Saturday in Sasolburg, Free State.
*From: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article505532.ece/Zuma-to-skip-Malema-rally*
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