Malema celebrates 41st birthday in court

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema will be celebrating his birthday while attending his trial in the East London Regional Court for the unlawful possession of a firearm and contravening the Firearms Control Act.

The firebrand leader turned 41 years old on Thursday.

Malema was born on the 3 March 1981 in Seshego, in Limpopo.

Malema was a former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader who vowed he would “kill for Zuma” and was expelled from the ruling party’s youth wing in February 2012.

Malema then launched his new political party the Economic Freedom Fighters in 2013.

The Commander in Chief and “revolutionary leader”, as he is referred to by the red berets, has deep aspirations to be the leader of South Africa before he retires.

During his testimony on 17 February at the Equality Court in Johannesburg in the hate speech case that AfriForum brought against him and the EFF, Malema was asked during cross-examination by AfriForum’s Mark Oppenheimer whether he thought his party would be elected into government.

“I’m going to be the president of this country, whether you like it or not and I will preside over the affairs of this country, including presiding over you. I think you must start adjusting to that reality. The sooner you do that, the less chest pains you’ll have when that reality comes.”

In a statement, the EFF said Malema remains a thorn in the side of the “corrupt political elite and the handlers who seek to turn South Africa into a colony of private interests.”

“He remains a pain to racists all across the country, the continent and the diaspora as he leads the charge for a United Africa, a call which unsettles colonial nations such as France which seek to micro-manage African affairs. He observes his 41st Birthday in the East London Magistrates Court, because racists in collusion with the State, are in a desperate mission to persecute him for his principled vision of a prosperous Africa.”

Last year, during an interview with SABC News, Malema said he would like to retire from politics at the age of 55 and pursue a different career path.

“In my plan of things, I want to leave politics at 55 because I came in very young. I want to try something else and to enjoy life outside of politics because I don’t know any other thing except politics.”

The EFF said Malema remains an anchor in the party’s political journey towards reversing the gains of colonialism and achieving true freedom.

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