Divided ‘left’ will leave Marx cold

The phrase “radical left” is doing some heavy lifting when describing both Jacob Zuma’s MK Party and Julius Malema’s EFF.

We use the possessive deliberately here because both organisations are more akin to personality cults than anything else.

While both parties spout populist rhetoric about “radical economic transformation”, they are a long way from being true socialists or Communists.

Fathers of communism

The fathers of communism, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, would be spinning in their graves at the thought of these groups being on the left side of the political spectrum.

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In their lust to get their hands on the levers of power, the only redistribution of wealth they will be doing will be to their own cronies – as was eloquently demonstrated in the state capture networks and the VBS looting

Zuma and Malema

Far from being partners in pursuing a socialist Utopia, the two groups are fighting each other, as Zuma appears determined to destroy Malema.

And it’s working – as the latest luminary about to quit Malema appears to be his one-time loyal lieutenant, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

There is an upside to the populists fighting – at least for the government of national unity. Divided, they are much less of a threat to the crew at Union Buildings.

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