The ANCYL condemns the use of state resources to settle political scores against Cde Julius Malema

25 September 2012

The African National Congress Youth League condemns the use of state resources to settle political scores on Cde Julius Malema

The African National Congress Youth League has noted the reports regarding the charges brought against Comrade Julius Malema. We were shocked by these developments as the warrant was timely executed to coincide with a long weekend. This in our view was meant to ensure that he spends the whole weekend in Jail.

Leaks were made about an imminent arrest to feed into euphoria of a public trial months before the arrest was made. The media was deliberately fed with all kinds of leaks which are currently a subject of investigation  by faceless people to ensure that the public is turned against Cde Julius Malema and he is convicted in a Court of public opinion.

The leaks of the report prepared by the Public Protector are indeed curious that even before the report is made final, some faceless sources have shared the report with the media. Such lack of restraint and conniving was meant to feed further into the Court of public opinion that is in session in the media.

The African National Congress Youth League believes in the rule of law. A critical component of South African legal system is the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The machinations of recent days that we have seen go against and are fundamentally opposed to this principle of innocence until proven guilty which is accorded to all South African citizens without exception.

The fact that even some Ministers intimated knowledge of the charges points to political interference in the administration of Justice and it must be condemned. State institutions must never be used to settle political scores because that will plunge the country into a banana republic and confirms our view that we are becoming a police state.

As the Congress Youth League we trust that the criminal justice system will carry out its work with integrity and credibility. It must be freed from any political interference particularly from those at the levers of the country's Security Cluster who are known to have differences of opinion with Comrade Julius.

Never must the state machinery be used for political expediency and we trust that other cases in our recent past where such was the norm, would have taught all of us critical lessons. All South Africans are called upon to defend the constitution and the principle as contained in the constitution that every individual is innocent until proven guilty.

Statement issued by the ANC Youth League, September 25 2012

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