ANCYL faces contempt action

DURBAN’S Active Citizens Movement (ACM) filed a contempt of court application against the ANC Youth League yesterday after its refusal to apologise publicly for disrupting an Ahmed Kathrada memorial service at which former finance minister Pravin Gordhan had spoken.

The memorial service took place on April 9 at Sastri College.

Gordhan and Dr Zweli Mkhize were guest speakers at the service to honour Kathrada who had died two weeks earlier, and after Gordhan had been fired as the finance minister.

Two days before the memorial, the ACM sought a court order to interdict the Youth League from disrupting the service, citing that the league wanted to disrupt any event or speaker criticising President Zuma’s decision to fire Gordhan.

Behave

The order was not granted in its entirety, and did not bar the league from entering the memorial service, but requested they behave.

“The ACM believes that its basic constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of assembly were violated when members of the Youth League disrupted the guest speakers and tore down posters at the memorial meeting,” said ACM media officer Yashica Padia.

Although the ACM asked the Youth League for an unconditional apology for disrupting the service, the league said it did not believe it needed to, and yesterday the ACM launched the new court order.

“In the contempt of court application, the ACM is asking the court to order the head of the Youth League, Thanduxolo Sabelo, and the ANCYL to publish a detailed apology to the Kathrada family, the ACM and the general public for the offence and hurt caused by their violation of the order,” Padia said.

The apology should be published in provincial and national newspapers, in both English and IsiZulu.

“The organisation is also asking the courts to order the Youth League to pay certain sums of money to a deserving non-governmental organisation working to support vulnerable children, an issue that was close to Mr Kathrada’s heart.

“If they fail or refuse to do so, the court is being asked to authorise the arrest of Mr Sabelo and the attachment of assets of the ANCYL,” said Padia.

Last night the ANCYL was meeting to consider its response.