NORTHERN CAPE STATEMENT: Back off! ANC Youth League President Julius Malema's lifestyle!

The ANCYL in the Northern Cape is outraged and flabbergasted on the recent scurrilous, slanderous and preposterous media reports on the so-called flashy lifestyle purported to be commanded by the leaders of our movement with specific reference to the personal lifestyle of the President of the ANC Youth League Comrade Julius Malema. It is an understatement to point out that these misleading reports are a gross misrepresentation of facts and that they seek to cast aspersions on the integrity of the leadership of this tried and tested movement.

The scurrility of these reports is a sad reflection on the absurd state of journalism in this country which has gone to the gutters. The basic tenets of investigative journalism is to afford all parties concerned ample time and opportunity to state their case before reports of this nature are unleashed to an uninformed and unsuspecting public that would draw its own conclusions without having had time to digest intelligent responses from our leadership.

Unfortunately gutter journalism masquerading as investigative journalism has been elevated to the highest standard of journalism excellence in the newsrooms, a gyrating trend which is absolutely in contravention of basic journalism ethics. These flaccid media reports are a poor attempt to ferment ferocious opposition to our programme of action that include amongst many other objectives the redistribution of the wealth of this country to the poor including our firm and unwavering call for the nationalisation of the lucrative mining industry.

The masses of our people are a very sophisticated kind who will not be easily swayed by these malicious reports that border on the defamation of character of our hardworking President;Cde Julius Malema. For the record we are not apologetic about the lifestyle that we deservedly enjoy and we are not accountable to faceless forces.

We did not breach nor break any constitutional legal framework that has enabled us to enjoy the economic benefits of this country which is well-endowed with wealthy resources that certain minorities have been enjoying for decades at the expense of generations of the majority of our people. Our mandate that we are vigorously pursuing is to ensure that we create the platform through innovative progressive opportunities for all our people to enjoy the economic benefits that our country has to offer.

To date the ANC Youth League has embarked upon numerous activities that are aimed at uplifting the masses of our people to participate and play their role in the mainstream economy of South Africa which the media has conveniently overlooked in their preoccupation to bombard our leisure space with sensationalist news reports on the leadership of our movement.

The fourth estate does not have the licence to abuse the privilege of media freedom afforded by our constitution that came through the sacrifices of a galaxy of our gallant heroes and heroines who paid the highest price in our revolution that brought about the freedom that we enjoy today.

It is worth reminding the media that it does not have preponderance and an almighty heavenly voice over the masses of our people who by and large do not give an inkling of what the chattering classes do and think about other than expecting decent job opportunities, affordable quality healthcare, excellent education, rural development and a safer crime free environment to be provided by our leadership as per our election manifesto.

If there is any lifestyle audit to be undertaken that has to start with the architects and apparatchiks of the apartheid regime who plundered the resources of this country with impunity for their own selfish needs. We are not shocked and most certainly not awed by the supposedly luxurious lifestyle of our President Comrade Julius Malema nor the broader leadership of our movement as they are reaping what they have sowed as hard working citizens of this country. With this in mind, HANDS OFF OUR PRESIDENT!

Statement issued by ANCYL Northern Cape provincial secretary, Dikgang Stock, February 21 2010

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