They put it in the nicest possible way in their statement on Wednesday, starting with ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema’s “constitutional rights”. Then the Young Communist League gave an elaborate summary of all the reports listing Malema’s financial indiscretions, ranging from his “Mr. Cash” lifestyle to all the cash in exchange for tenders he allegedly accepted, through his Ratanang family trust.

And they explained why he should be investigated (adding their voices with the likes of the FF Plus and the DA), to “take away the dark cloud already hanging over his head”.

For good measure, the YCL threw in one of their own conspiracy theories as well.

“If any of the senior leadership of the alliance had deposited millions in his family trust fund, such must be investigated as well.”

Of course with this, the YCL means those people who give Malema money to motor mouth their way to the ANC’s top, must be smoked out. The Young Reds really have us suspicious now.

They continue: “This will have long effect on the unity of the alliance and will bring peace to the life of the ANCYL president who has been a subject of media trial for far too long and his rights may had been violated, but of cause (sic) if guilty he must face the music.”

Long effect indeed.

If anybody had thought that YCL secretary Buti Manamela’s revelation (on Kaya FM the other day) that the young communists have also been cosying-up with Botswana’s opposition was a move to back the ANC Youth League, the call for an investigation into Malema’s finances dispels that impression.

The ANC’s youngsters will, by the way, almost certainly face the music for their intention to cooperate with the opposition in Botswana to get the ruling party voted out of power in 2014.

One can almost imagine Manamela sitting in his office in Parliament, where he has been doing sensible and grown-up work since 2009, sniggering a bit that the Youth League had it coming to them.

He must still be a little sore that they booed him off their stage last year during their national general council in Gallagher Estates in Midrand, although, to their credit, there was no peep from the audience when Manamela spoke at the Youth League’s conference in this June in the same venue. This was probably because Malema had expressly forbidden any anarchic behaviour.

Meanwhile Malema must have been extra nice to some ANC oldies ahead of the ANC’s national executive committee (of which he’s an ex-officio member) meeting which starts on Friday at the ANC’s new most favourite venue, the St George’s Hotel near Pretoria.

ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said the ANC’s top six officials would be handling the Youth League’s (disciplinary) case and there was no need for the almost 90-member committee to also discuss it.

But knowing Malema and his friends, they would surely find a way to slip it onto the agenda if they want it there. DM