---

ANC Youth League President Julius Malema: "Does Malema understand that there are millions of liberation heroes in the MDC?"

---

Related news

• Zuma chides Malema on Zanu PF stance
• "Land reform need to be addressed urgently to avoid invasions" - ANC
• Malema Receives Death Threat
• Malema blasts "Apartheid Judge" for "Shoot the boer" ban
• Malema's mystery millions

-Advertisement-

JOHANNESBURG - ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has upset Zimbabwean political party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), by only meeting Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF on a visit to Harare.

"Is Mr Malema saying that the ANC does not respect democracy and is willing to ignore the millions of Zimbabweans who sent Zanu-PF packing in the corridors of power?" asked Austin Moyo, chairman of the MDC in South Africa, at a media briefing in Johannesburg on Thursday.

"Does Malema understand that there are millions of liberation heroes in the MDC?"

Malema made it clear that he would be visiting Zanu-PF because it was "a revolutionary party" -- "as if MDC is not a revolutionary party".

"Is Mr Malema suggesting that fighting and defeating the black oppression of Zanu-PF [by the MDC] is not synonymous with a revolution?" Moyo asked.

He said Malema's visit came at a crucial time, as Zimbabwe's unity government attempted to put to rest issues agreed upon during a visit by President Jacob Zuma last month.

"When the mud water is about to settle, it is not wise for the youthful president to stir it up again with his feet.

"His talking to only one party will send the wrong signals because South Africa is the referee."

MDC spokesman Sibangeni Dube said it did not matter that Malema was not a South African government representative. "These guys have the power to sway decisions.

 "...We are not interested in Malema as an individual... but he is wearing the jacket of the ANC."

The controversial youth league president was reportedly meeting senior Zanu-PF members in the country's indigenisation and administration departments to learn more about Zimbabwe's "revolutionary empowerment programmes".

He was in Zimbabwe by invitation from its Youth Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, but the MDC said it was not interested in the intention behind the visit.

It wanted him to request a meeting with the leadership of the "majority party", the MDC.

The MDC had tried to address the matter with Malema directly "to bring sanity to this saga" but failed to secure a meeting.

Moyo said the MDC's offices had been flooded with calls saying Zimbabweans were "watching his [Malema's] visit closely".

"They are interested in what he is going to say and who he will meet when he gets to Zimbabwe."

The MDC hoped that during meetings with Zanu-PF, Malema would be "brave enough to say things nobody would be brave enough to say".

"Malema is a well-known figure... he is also fearless.

"[We] want him to say it is wrong to patronise and oppress people."

Moyo wanted to ask the youth league president if he was proud to be associated with a political party [of people] who "rapes and murders" --and also if he was aware of Goromonzi, Zanu-PF's "torture base" a few kilometres from Harare.

On Roy Bennett, a top aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Moyo said the fresh charges against him were a sham.

"They have a masters degree in delaying things. There is no crime at all. It is made up. There is no case.

"It is in the interest of Zanu-PF to keep him inside."

-Advertisement-