JOHANNESBURG, April 4 (Reuters) – South Africa’s ruling ANC
has temporarily removed party rebel Julius Malema from his role
as president of its Youth League and is barring him from
attending party meetings, it said in a statement on Wednesday.
The move escalates the party fight with Malema, who has been
expelled from the African National Congress for breaking party
rules but allowed to stay in his post and attend meetings for
months as his appeals have wound their way through party
committees.
If Malema loses his appeal, he will be formally expelled
from the party that dominates the country’s politics. He is
scheduled to have an appeals hearing next week.
The ANC reprimanded Malema on Tuesday, angrily condemning
his assertion made last week that President Jacob Zuma’s
government is a dictatorship..
“The temporary and immediate suspension of comrade Malema
will come into effect on Wednesday, 4 April,” an ANC
disciplinary panel said in a statement.
(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz)
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