Julius Malema in his own words

Firebrand youth leader Julius Malema has been suspended from South Africa’s ruling ANC after being found guilty of bringing it into disrepute.

Malema, 30, played a key role in Jacob Zuma’s rise to become president in 2009 but the pair have since fallen out, with Mr Malema accusing his former ally of not doing enough to relieve poverty.

The former ANC youth league leader is a hugely divisive figure in South Africa after making numerous controversial statements during his short career:

On South Africa’s presidents

“We are prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma,” in June 2008 during Mr Zuma’s hard-fought campaign to wrest control of the ANC from then President Thabo Mbeki.

“We are leaving this dead snake, but we must bury it, it is dead now,” in September 2008 shortly before Mr Mbeki was ousted as president.

“Racism is the legacy of De Klerk. Unemployment is the legacy of De Klerk. Shortage of houses is the legacy of De Klerk. De Klerk must never be compared with Mandela,” in January 2011 urging people not to credit South Africa’s last white ruler, FW de Klerk, for releasing Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990.

On opposition politicians

“She, the racist little girl, must remember that Zuma is her boss,” in May 2009 after Democratic Alliance (DA) party leader Helen Zille, a white woman, was elected premier of Western Cape province.

“I only debate with serious political youth formations. Not a group of the racist Helen Zille’s garden boys,” in February 2009 refusing to have a debate with DA youth leader Khume Ramulifho.

“She’s a nobody, she’s a tea girl of the madam. I’m not debating with the service of the madam,” in May 2011 rejecting a challenge to have a debate with Lindiwe Mazibuko, a black woman who is now the DA’s parliamentary leader.

On foreign policy

“We want to ask a simple question – are you not tired of seeing blood every year? You blood-thirsty imperialists… They can’t think. They don’t know politics,” denouncing Nato’s military campaign in Libya in July 2011.

“Botswana is in full co-operation with imperialists,” in July 2011, calling for a change of government in Gaborone because of its close ties with the US – the stance which saw him suspended from the party.

On economic policy

“At the moment, when the imperialist forces are accepting the failures of capitalism, we should ask whether the time has not arrived for the government to make sure that the state owns the mines and other means of production,” in July 2009, calling for nationalisation of South Africa’s huge mining industry to end white domination of the economy.

“Mandela and his generation said: ‘Freedom in our lifetime’, and we want to declare today: ‘Economic freedom in our lifetime’,” in February 2010, arguing that nationalisation had been a policy of the ANC during the struggle for democratic rule.

On sex and rape

“When a woman didn’t enjoy it [sex], she leaves early in the morning. Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money,” in January 2009 after Mr Zuma was acquitted in 2008 of raping a family friend.

On education

“Let the minister use that fake accent to address our problems and not behave like a spoilt minister,” in February 2009 calling on the Mbeki-appointed Education Minister Naledi Pandor to resolve a wage dispute at a university.

“Your children must be allowed to go to school with coolie [a racially derogatory term for Indians] children,” in October 2011 calling for better education for black people.

On himself

“I think parliament is for old people, don’t you agree? It’s not my favourite place,” in January 2009, rejecting his nomination to serve in parliament.

“If I am expelled from the ANC, no problem. Life goes on. I’ve played my role and my name will be counted in history. There are people who are far older than me who have never played any role and their names are not relevant to the history of South Africa,” in October 2011, while facing charges of bringing the ANC in disrepute.

“We are not intimidated by any outcome. The ANC is our home,” in November 2011 after his suspension from the ruling party. Compiled by BBC News