NDC CONFIRMS THE SITTING FOR MITIGATION AND AGGRAVATION HEARINGS

The National Disciplinary Committee of the African National Congress would like to confirm the sitting of the NDC today as from 08h00, to hear arguments in mitigation regarding the disciplinary case of Comrade Julius Malema, Comrade Sindiso Magaqa and Comrade Floyd Shivambu.

The sitting will also receive arguments for aggravating circumstance from the ANC as per the decision of the NDCA. Each of the three cases where the guilty verdict was upheld by the NDCA will be allocated two hours to argue for mitigation thereby totaling six hours for the three Comrades, and the ANC's aggravating argument will also be allocated two hours in total.

We also want to correct an impression that was created with an assertion from some individuals who suggested that the Comrades who are appearing before the NDC were only informed of the date of their mitigation on Saturday 11th February 2012.

All parties concerned met on Wednesday the 8th February 2012, in a pre-hearing conference and agreed on the date for the mitigation and aggravating arguments. It is in that meeting where all parties indicated their availability to be present at the hearings to be conducted on the 13th February 2012. Secondly, we want to place on record that formal letters were sent to each individual on Thursday the 9th February 2012 to confirm the sitting.

The NDC would like to further correct the misleading statement suggesting that these comrades who appeared before the NDC were charged for, issues related to the call for nationalization, the call for expropriation of land and as well as the call for economic freedom. At not stage were these issues a factor in the current cases. Any argument suggesting that the hearings at any stage had anything to do with these issues is devoid of any truth.

Statement issued by Derek Hanekom, Chairperson of the NDC, February 13 2012

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