Malema slams ANC disciplinary 'witch hunt'

Julius Malema, the fiery youth leader suspended from South Africa's ANC, criticised the ruling party's disciplinary committee Wednesday for leading a "witch-hunt" against him and his allies.

Malema, 30, accused the African National Congress of suspending him for five years because some in the party want to shut him up -- particularly his calls to nationalise mines and seize white-owned land to redistribute to poor blacks.

"Some in the ANC believe that by removing certain leaders of the ANC youth league, they will successfully suppress and undermine political and ideological struggles of the ANC youth league, particularly on nationalisation of mines and expropriation of land without compensation," Malema told journalists.

He criticised disparities in the sentences meted out to him and five other top youth league officials charged alongside him.

"This reveals the witch-hunting" against people the party wanted to silence, he said.

And he said the ANC, in power since South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, risked falling apart by stifling internal debate.

"If the position of the ANC is used to settle political differences and personal differences and suppress ideological debate, then the movement is going to disintegrate. You must never use the (disciplinary committee) to settle your personal differences," he said.

Malema compared his radical politics to the stance of Nelson Mandela, who co-founded the youth league to push the ANC to launch an armed struggle against apartheid.

"When you want to destroy this youth league because you are irritated by Malema, then you are wrong. You are destroying the legacy of Nelson Mandela and OR Tambo," he said.

This was Malema's first press conference since being suspended last week. He has vowed to appeal.