---
title: "Asmal isn't backing down"
description: "He's being pilloried by his own party, but Kader Asmal says freedom of speech allows him to call Fikile Mbalula an imbecile. Or rather, to call Mbalula's plan to militarise the police, as well as much of what Jeff Radebe has to say, politically naive. Nobody who knows Asmal was expecting him to go meek in the face of pushback from the party, and he'll have plenty of support among ANC members (and even some leaders). But the party still has no effective mechanism to deal with dissenting voices; everybody must either sing from the official hymn sheet or be disciplined. Somehow we can't imagine anybody disciplining Asmal. Read more: Mail & Guardian"
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Maverick News"
author: "Daily Maverick Legacy"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dailymavericklegacyarticlesdailymaverick-co-za/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2009-10-21-Asmal-isnt-backing-down/"
published: "2009-10-21T10:42:46"
updated: "2013-02-01T19:58:33"
lang: "en-ZA"
---

# Asmal isn't backing down

> He's being pilloried by his own party, but Kader Asmal says freedom of speech allows him to call Fikile Mbalula an imbecile. Or rather, to call Mbalula's plan to militarise the police, as well as much of what Jeff Radebe has to say, politically naive. Nobody who knows Asmal was expecting him to go meek in the face of pushback from the party, and he'll have plenty of support among ANC members (and even some leaders). But the party still has no effective mechanism to deal with dissenting voices; everybody must either sing from the official hymn sheet or be disciplined. Somehow we can't imagine anybody disciplining Asmal. Read more: [Mail & Guardian](http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-10-21-asmal-defends-right-to-freedom-of-speech)

By Daily Maverick Legacy · Published 21 October 2009, 12:42 SAST · Updated 1 February 2013, 21:58 SAST