Collen Maine backs down on his call for veterans to arm themselves
ANC Youth League retracts its president’s statement, while denying that it incites violence
ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Maine has retracted his statement calling on Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) military veterans to take up arms to defend President Jacob Zuma. However, the ANCYL does not believe that the statement incited violence, calling those who alleged this "opportunists". It also claimed that the comment was taken out of context. "The president of the ANCYL did not call for any members of the MK veterans to shoot at any person. Therefore, it cannot be said that he was inciting violence. Anyway, he is incapable of doing so given that he is not the president of the MK veterans. As a result, the alleged violence is not likely nor in any way imminent," the ANCYL said. The league said neither it or Maine promoted violence.Speaking at a Hands off Zuma march at the weekend‚ Maine said: "Comrades from UmKhonto we Sizwe‚ bring your guns‚ now is the time to defend the revolution. We must do it. Generations that came before did it. They sacrificed their lives."The Congr...
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