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CAPE TOWN/JOHANNESBURG. —South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) yesterday distanced itself from the call by the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) to take up arms to defend President Jacob Zuma.ANC views these utterances as “unfortunate, irresponsible and reckless”, the party said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.“The freedom, peace and stability we enjoy in South Africa today came at a price,” ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.

Among those freedoms is the freedom of expression, which does not extend to inflammatory remarks such as those made by the ANCYL President Collen Maine, said Kodwa.Maine on Saturday called on a former armed wing of the ANC to take up arms in defence of Zuma so as to halt former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela from releasing a draft report on her investigation into “state capture” involving the wealthy Indian Gupta family, which allegedly exerted undue influence on Zuma in the appointment of cabinet ministers.

Kodwa said current challenges facing South Africa required reasoned, cogent and decisive leadership, not provocative and demagogic talk.Accordingly, the ANC has instructed Maine to retract these comments, Kodwa said. Zuma continues to enjoy overwhelming support from the majority of members of the ANC and society at large, he added.

Meanwhile, ANCYL president Maine has retracted the call he made at the weekend for the uMkhonto we Sizwe military veterans association to take up arms in defence of President Zuma.Maine made the about-turn following a meeting with ANC leaders, including President Zuma, at the party’s headquarters on Monday.

“The president gave me a stern talking to,” Maine said yesterday.He said that although he did not believe his comments were inciting violence, he listened to his leaders and was unconditionally apologising to South Africans.He said when ANC leaders talked, he listened, unlike expelled ANCYL president and current EFF leader Julius Malema.

“I am not like that popcorn Malema.”The ANC on Monday told Maine to retract his call.During a pro-Zuma march in eThekwini at the weekend, Maine made a plea to MKMVA to defend the party and the country’s leader.“Comrades from Umkhonto weSizwe, bring your guns. Now is the time to defend the revolution,” he said.

ANC said it hoped his remarks would not be given space to flourish.“In a democratic South Africa, there is no room for the private army,” Kodwa said. — Xinhua/News24/HR