Publication: Cape Argus Issued: Date: 2008-03-15 Reporter: Sibusiso Ngalwa

ANC Youth Leader Apologises

 

Publication 

Cape Argus
Date

2008-03-15
Reporter Sibusiso Ngalwa

Web Link

 www.capeargus.co.za

 

Outgoing ANC Youth League leader Fikile Mbalula publicly repented, apologising for insulting elders like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Judge Hilary Squires in defence of Jacob Zuma.

Mbalula said the league had achieved a lot, but had also erred.

Speaking in Sandton on Thursday night, he said: "We have also made mistakes, we fought with older people like Archbishop Desmond Tutu. We really did not tell Cosas what to say. We fought with Judge Hilary Squires, but we don't have a problem with him as a judge. We apologise."

This change of heart is unsual for Mbalula, who generally will not back down, preferring to try to justify himself with all guns blazing. He is known for his no-holds-barred attacks on Zuma's opponents.

The youth league and the Congress of SA Students (Cosas) - which supported Zuma for the ANC presidency - had previously refused to apologise for insulting Tutu.

The youth league accused Tutu of being a "hypocrite" when the cleric, during his Harold Wolpe Memorial Lecture in 2006, urged Zuma to withdraw from the ANC succession race and raised concerns about his sexual behaviour.

Cosas was more brutal, accusing Tutu of being a "scandalous man who cannot impose his moral views". Cosas challenged Tutu to "publish his own sexual history before speaking as an expert on Zuma's sexual behaviour".

The abuse by Cosas continued: "We are now not sure of his mental status as it leaves much to taste."

The attack on Tutu prompted President Thabo Mbeki to regard the incident as "truly distressing" and defend Tutu as a "national hero".

Before Tutu, the youth leaders had directed their missiles at Squires, who convicted Zuma's financial adviser Schabir Shaik on fraud and corruption charges.

They accused him of being an "old Rhodesian apartheid judge" incapable of being impartial.

But Mbalula didn't stay apologetic for long. He took a swipe at continuity presenters and criticised the celebrity culture idolised by young people.

"I would want my child to have a role model in a matric student who passed with six distinctions despite (their hardships). How can you be a role model by announcing the next programme to play on TV?"

With acknowledgement to Sibusiso Ngalwa and Cape Argus.


Now that Squires has denied finding a generally-corrupt relationship between super-hero Zuma and sub-hero Shaik, the ANC Youth League and its leader Fikile Mbalula want to retract their accusations against Squires.

Squires is a good judge, but his denial that there was a generally-corrupt relationship between Zuma and Shaik is hollow.

There was.

It's only that Squires never used those exact words.

But Fikile Mbalula is still an ass's arse.

Cosas - or at least its conduct - is the product thereof.