BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — AFRICAN National Congress (ANC) Youth League leader Julius Malema is facing disciplinary action for defying the party leadership after a week of insolence in which he again publicly taunted President Jacob Zuma.

Yesterday it emerged Malema would not escape censure, despite party leaders allowing him to make provocative statements and behave defiantly until this week.

The planned disciplinary action is the strongest against a party figure since former president Thabo Mbeki was recalled from office in September 2008.

Zuma on Saturday set the tone when he flayed Malema, accusing him of "alien" behaviour. It was Zuma's strongest denouncement of Malema whose behaviour he has indulged in the past.

Malema's latest transgression was ignoring the party's request for "restraint" over the singing of a struggle-era strong with the phrase "shoot the boer" after a high court injunction preventing its singing. He also embarrassed the party and the government in Harare last weekend when, hosted by President Robert Mugabe, he was scathing of the Movement for Democratic Change.

Malema's endorsement of Zanu (PF) contradicted the government's policy and weakened SA's mediation efforts.

"This amounts to undermining the leadership of the ANC. Certainly there must be consequences for such behaviour," Zuma said.

On Thursday Malema expelled a BBC journalist from a youth league press conference, jeopardising efforts to calm a fierce debate on racism in the aftermath of the killing of far right leader Eugene TerreBlanche.

He will now have to answer for transgressions, including defying the leadership and bringing the ANC into disrepute.

Malema is now seen as a divisive figure. Ironically, Mbeki's sowing of division in the party was, for many, the tipping point that le d to his ousting.

Malema has been accused of doing the bidding of party leaders opposed to the Congress of South African Trade Unions and South African Communist Party (SACP) exerting influence over the ANC.

But his increased belligerence has isolated him from some of his former backers who now see him as a liability and appear willing to sacrifice him. Zuma's comments on Saturday followed a flurry of meetings of top ANC officials who met again on Friday for the second time last week.

On Saturday, treasurer Mathews Phosa spoke out against Malema's populism, saying the ANC needed leaders, "not hotheads".

Malema has on several occasions lambasted alliance leaders. He called fellow ANC national executive committee member Jeremy Cronin a "white messiah" during a heated debate on the nationalisation of mines.

Malema also accused SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande of harbouring ambitions to be deputy president , and slated him as a yellow communist who "drinks red wine". Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe was slated when he called for respect for the judiciary while Zuma faced corruption charges and Malema said he would "kill for Zuma".

He has mounted a campaign against ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and wants him replaced by deputy police minister Fikile Mbalula.

Within hours of Zuma's condemnation on Saturday, Malema was at the centre of a violent incident at a youth league electoral conference in Limpopo. This added to the indictment against him. Malema was recalcitrant last night and said he was surprised at the public condemnation.