A disciplinary committee accused Julius Malema of causing division in the party.

The Disciplinary Committee of South Africa’s governing African National Union, ANC, party on Wednesday February 29, 2012 expelled its controversial Youth League leader, Julius Malema, from the party for fomenting divisions and bringing the party into disrepute. According to the BBC, Malema, once a close ally of President Jacob Zuma and today one of his strongest critics, was appealing against an earlier five-year suspension from the party before he was expelled.

According to South Africa’s Business Day newspaper, the chairman of the committee, Derek Hanekom, explained that Malema was found guilty of sowing divisions in the party by comparing the leadership style of President Jacob Zuma unfavourably to former President Thabo Mbeki’s. Malema was also accused of making statements on bringing about regime change in Botswana at a youth league press conference in July last year. He was further found guilty of propagating racism or political intolerance by declaring at a rally in Kimberley in May last year that whites should be treated as criminals for stealing land from blacks.

The committee said Mr. Malema’s evidence during the hearing against an earlier suspension showed that he had reneged on his membership oath and was not prepared to respect the ANC constitution. The committee also said it was apparent he was not prepared to accept the findings of the disciplinary process. Mr. Malema has been given 14 days to appeal. Last year, he was suspended for five years alongside other officials for anti-party activities. The 30-year-old youth leader says he is being persecuted for advocating that the party should adopt a policy to nationalise mines, and replace Mr. Zuma as the ANC leader.

"We must accept that this is the decision, but that is not the end of the road," he warned in a radio broadcast yesterday morning. "It is still early to celebrate because the road ahead of us is going to be very long and needs men and women who are very strong," Business Day quoted Malema as saying. "If you are weak, you are going to fall in the process. I’m not a soldier who is prepared to fall in the battle. I will die with my boots on. I will die for what I believe in. I did not steal from anybody... I did not kill anybody," he said.

The ANC Youth League was to hold a media briefing later yesterday to respond to the expulsion.