RE: COMPLAINT ON THE PUBLIC UTTERANCES OF MR. PATRICK LEKOTA

Dear Chairperson,

The African National Congress Youth League requests the South African Human Rights Commission to make an urgent intervention on the recurrent statements and public utterances of Mr. Patrick Lekota, the founder member of the splinter rebel political movement, recently resolved by a Convention at the Sandton Convention Centre. In his many interviews and public utterances, including on the interview with Kaya FM on the 30^th of October 2008, Mr. Lekota has said that the leadership of the ANC and ANC YL will kill anyone who does not vote for ANC President Jacob Zuma in the 2009 General Elections.

In the statement the ANC YL jointly released on the 3^rd of July 2008, it was clearly stated "Mr Malema appreciated the criticism levelled against him for using the word "kill" and recognizes that the word could have been interpreted differently. Mr Malema also explained that it was never his intention to incite violence and undertakes never again to use the word and is committed to democracy and the advancement of human rights". Even on the metaphor we used at the June 16 Rally, we never said that the ANC YL will kill people who do not vote for the President of the ANC.

The ANC YL is concerned by the utterances of the of Mr. Lekota as they seek to entail that the ANC YL will literally kill people who do not vote for the African National Congress in the incoming General Elections. Mr. Lekota continues to say and imply that the ANC YL and/or its members and leadership are potential murderers and/or assassins who will kill people for political reasons.

The ANC YL re-affirms its commitment to non-violent political engagements and interaction and re-emphasises the reality that our organisation and the entirety of its membership will never do anything that violates our Constitution and democratic principles. We further re-affirm our commitment we will never incite violence or engage in anything that might appear as if we are inciting violence. The ANC YL values the Constitutional principles, which those who came before us fought for and will never undermine anything represent.

For the record, the ANC YL will be at the forefront of ensuring that the 2009 General Elections are the most peaceful elections to ever happen in South Africa. So anyone who seek and attempt to link the ANC YL to political violence should not be given any consideration.

We therefore would like to request the intervention of the South African Human Rights Commission concerning the allegations and cheap electioneering of Mr. Lekota on things we never said in the statement we discussed and clarified with the SAHRC. We believe that the continued allegations and utterances by Mr. Lekota that the ANC YL or any of its members are potential murderers and/or assassins violate our rights to integrity as individual members of the ANC YL and as an organisation.

The ANC YL will continue to hold the SAHRC in high regard and hope that yours will remain a responsible and focused task to protect our Constitutional democracy and human rights. The ANC YL respects all Constitutional rights and freedoms, including the freedom of expression, within the context of South Africa's Constitution and the limitations provided thereof.

We hope that our most sincere request will be attended to whilst await a prompt response and intervention,

Yours,

Julius Malema, ANC YL President

Statement issued by the ANC Youth League November 3 2008