Love or loathe him, Malema has a solid point on retirement of politicians

There’s a general feeling, particularly among the youth, that our politicians and ministers are far too old and, therefore, out of touch when it comes to the majority of the population’s needs.

With the local elections just around the corner, the below-par registration of the youth has been a concern for many of the political parties.

It should also be a concern for this country going forward.

If you don’t have the next generation of voters making their mark, then what hope does our future hold?

With this in mind, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema made some solid points in an interview with the SABC this week when he revealed he would retire from politics at the age of 55, while questioning why former president Jacob Zuma doesn’t just enjoy his retirement instead of being in the limelight.

Malema said: “My intention is to leave when I’m 55 because I came into this thing when I was nine. I’m not here to stay forever. I want my kids to have a life of their own, I want my family to have a life of their own and, for as long as I’m here, there will always be Julius Malema’s children and wife. She can’t do anything because someone will be watching her.”

He added: “I’ve done so many things at a very early age and lived a life of a 60 year old when I was in my early 30s.”

Love or loathe Malema, he hits the nail on the head when questioning why Zuma is still involved in campaigning and politics, saying: “When a person goes on pension, allow him to go and rest; the only difference is that Zuma doesn’t know when to stop because he must accept that he’s a pensioner. Now he’s busy recording videos. He’s inviting us back into his life. He must choose if he still wants to be an activist or pensioner.”

We wonder if any of our “senior” politicians are listening? They should.