Malema under fire in Zimbabwe

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Zimbabwean journalists have called on South African firebrand youth leader Julius Malema to apologise to two reporters who were allegedly harassed by his bodyguards in Harare over the weekend.

“The behaviour by Malema's aides is not only appalling but unfitting of visiting foreign nationals,” the Zimbabwe Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa-Zimbabwe) said in a statement obtained by PANA here.

Zimbabwe Daily News journalist Bethule Nkiwane and Tendai Kamhungira were allegedly manhandled by the former African National Congress (ANC) Youth League leader's guards.

They were seeking to interview Malema about his alleged links to Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF party, and about money laundering charges he was facing.

Malema, who has yet to comment on the incident, has been in the news for other reasons as well, including calling for President Jacob Zuma  to be axed from the ruling party and charged with corruption.

The former ANC Youth League leader appeared in court earlier this month on money laundering charges. He was released on US$1,500 bail.

Malema and Zuma had a public fallout earlier this year, with Malema now campaigning for Zuma to be replaced by Kgalema Mothlante as the leader of the ruling party and the country.
-0- PANA CU/SEG 17Oct2012