With a warrant out for Julius Malema’s arrest, it seems that both President Zuma and Helen Zille were right on cue in deploying the army. After Malema’s imminent arrest was leaked to City Prees, the South African National Defence Force may be necessary to keep the peace upon Malema’s supporters getting unruly.
The Friends of Malema and the ANCYL leadership suspended earlier this year, as well as current leaders of the League’s National Executive Committe have warned that the country’s youth would rebel and engage in mass action if the suspended former League President had to be arrested.
These warnings were issued in a week during which Malema spoke openly about alleged threats to have him killed or arrested.
Malema’s closest ally, Floyd Shivambu, the League’s former spokesman who had also been suspended, told the Mail & Guardian newspaper this week that both Malema and the Youth League’s secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa no longer slept at home because they feared being attacked.
Shivamabu said that State Security sources had told him that there was a plan to neutralise them, concocted at the highest levels of government and that options had been narrowed down to “arrest or kill”. But he did add that Malema had no fear of arrest as he knew that he had committed no crime.
Two members of the Youth League’s National Executive Committee told the M&G anonymously that the youth will go on the rampage if the state had to “abuse” resources to arrest Julius Malema.
“On what basis would he be arrested? What has he done wrong with tenders in Limpopo? When there are limitations in society you can’t stop people from addressing any section of society,” said one of the members.
“Julius has lots of support from youth who don’t rely on patronage from the ANC. They are not MECs, mayor or ministers. The youth are angry and they will go out in numbers. Young people will lead the mass action and they have lots of energy. And young people will not be peaceful …
“We know that the security cluster has allocated five people to follow him wherever he goes and this surveillance has not even been approved by a judge,” one of the members said.
The President of the Congress of the People, COPE’s youth movement, Ncaba Bhanga, promised that the organisation would defend Malema if hy had to be arrested.
“This is not about Malema,” said Bhanga. “It is about the ruling party using state resources to suppress dissenting views [in the build-up to] its Mangaung conference. Malema has done nothing wrong.”
A warrant of arrest for Julius Malema was issued this morning, City Press reported. He is expected to appear in court next week.
Eyewitness News reported earlier in the week that Malema might be arrested after conclusion of the Hawks’ investigation of him. He was being investigated for alleged corruption.