Who let Julius Malema out?
NEWSPAPER headline writers had some time off after Julius Malema was fired from the ANC Youth League. News editors did not have to worry about placing a journalist on Malema watch. But that was only temporary.
Juju is back, and surrounded by an army of red berets, he is perhaps bigger and louder than before.
He feels his newly-formed Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will topple the ANC in the general election in 2014.
His tax problems are well documented, but Malema claims the case was a politically motivated conspiracy by a group of Indians in bed with Afrikaners.
He wants expropriation of South Africa’s land without compensation for equal redistribution.
Like he did during his ANC Youth League days, he is still calling for the nationalisation of mines, banks, and other strategic sectors of the economy, without compensation.
Tenders must be abolished, and there must be free quality education, healthcare, houses and sanitation.
He also wants the creation of millions of sustainable jobs, including the introduction of minimum wages to close the wage gap between the rich and the poor.
In addition, the EFF wants an open, accountable, corrupt-free government and society without fear of victimisation by State agencies.
As expected, Malema has upped the ante against President Jacob Zuma’s government and the ANC.
He speaks of violence: “The ANC must warn its lapdogs that we’re not scared of them. If the ANC is going to send its small boys to disrupt our meetings, we’ll deal with them.”
And it’s not the first time: after Zuma was elected ANC president, Malema vowed to “eliminate any force” that blocked Zuma’s path to the presidency.
He promised to campaign in Zuma’s village at Nkandla in the run-up to the election, saying there are no ‘no-go’ areas in South Africa.
Malema took a swipe at Emfuleni mayor Simon Mofokeng and ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu, who he derisively called “Jack Daniels”. He also referred to the ANC as a “party of drunkards”.
He claimed the ANC government gives houses based on surnames, and councillors want to sleep with residents before delivering services.
Malema also apologised to South Africans for supporting Zuma ahead of the ANC’s Polokwane elective conference in December 2007, where former President Thabo Mbeki was defeated.
He said: “I’ve made a terrible mistake and I’m trying everything in my power to reverse that… We once more sincerely apologise for having given you a president like President Zuma.”
It is not just the ANC that is annoyed with him. The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) has apologised to South Africans for producing a “rebel” like Malema.
Agang SA leader Dr Mamphela Ramphele has described Malema as South Africa’s own Hitler or Mussolini who makes dangerous promises on land expropriation to desperate people.
“Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini emerged as leaders because desperate people were looking for an alternative. Malema is no alternative,” she said.
Malema is not stupid, and he knows that his power accumulates and stakes raise with every front page headline.
Love him or hate him: what makes him dangerous is that he has nothing to lose.
Question: Will you cast your vote for Malema in the 2014 election?
