Johannesburg: Expelled African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema has claimed the ANC used him for its own purposes before throwing him away.
Malema told a Friends of the Youth League gathering in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape that he had been mistreated by the ANC's leadership.
"Those of us who have remained loyal, (and) those of us who have entered treacherous places (by) defending the African National Congress... today we are not wanted," News24 quoted Malema, as saying.
"We are used like toilet paper that is flushed in the toilet. We are used like condoms - those who use condoms will know how condoms work, they use them and they throw them (away) somewhere else," Malema said.
Malema was originally suspended for five years for sowing divisions in the party and for bringing it into disrepute. He was found to have done so by unfavourably comparing the leadership style of President Jacob Zuma to that of former president Thabo Mbeki, and for remarks on bringing about regime change in Botswana.
He unsuccessfully appealed, but was granted leave to present evidence in mitigation to the ANC’s national disciplinary committee. However, on February 29 it announced the sanction against him was being increased to expulsion. He again appealed and it was this appeal that the ANC's national disciplinary committee of appeals dismissed on April 24.
ANI
First Published: Friday, May 04, 2012, 13:52