Julius Malema has exploded into political … prominence … by making himself hard to ignore. Inheriting a platform that drew attention to the accidental outrages he tripped into, he quickly learned to stoke outrage and roar back at any responses he provoked. For the media, trying to gauge the state of the nation’s health from moment to moment, this makes him a much more attractive candidate than the business-as-usual official announcements of the ruling party proper. But Malema’s sound and fury signify nothing, and his disproportionate voice in South Africa’s public conversation is only hurting our ability to speak to one another, and to speak sense when we do. We think it’s time to ignore Julius, and invite you to join us.
For the week of 7-14 April 2010, we undertake to talk about this country, its challenges, its promise, its news, and to ignore Julius while doing so. Join us in this initiative. If you blog, join the roll. If you tweet, add the hashtag #ignoreJulius to your daily output.
However you communicate, take a week off from Julius.
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http://zoem.co.za
http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/mariusredelinghuys
http://memyselfandkarin.wordpress.com/
http://robsramblings.co.za
http://antithesis.blognation.co.za/
http://singe.za.net/
http://blog.empyrean.co.za
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Marius, keep on daydreaming but the reality of the matter is that you and everyone else cannot afford to ignore Julius Malema. You know it very well deep down from the bottom of your heart. The mere fact that you’re acknowledging that Malema is very popular and no one including your holy self can afford to ignore Malema, i rest my case. You can try all you can to decampaign Malema through any platform in the media and elsewhere but the reality will always catch up with you. You ignore Malema, you ignore him at your own peril. Keep on hallucinating. Malema is never gonna disappear either today, tomorrow until further notice. Viva Malema viva!
how exactly is adding hashtag #ignoreJulius, ignoring julius? oxymoron
I’m with you, but why not make it the rest of our (or his) lives?
That’s hogwash.
A BBC jorno was kicked out like a rabid mutt from Malemas press conference and Malema invited any other jorno to walk out with him. While the BBC guy collected his things and mumbled some things the orther jornos all stayed to hear the next chapter from Malema. Seems the jonos are also fans of malema
My point- waste your time why dont you!
In your dreams I’m afraid Marius. The SA general press has a tabloid type mentality/integrity and will spin-up anything to sell papers. And the SA public seem particularly addicted to rubbish news about rubbish people. (If some drunk in a tuxedo drops a turd in the middle of Sandton Square he’ll be on the front pages next day, don’t worry.)
His profile has been largely built by media chatter. He he doesn’t have the intelligence or knowledge to say anything that I would consider to be of interest or importance. Malema says ‘nationalise the mines’ – who cares, he has no idea what he is talking about. (If Bobby Godsell were to say the same thing, then we’d all better sit up and take notice.)
It is sad that this silly clown goes on getting boring publicity when there are many intelligent South Africans who are achieving in many fields and who never get a mention – unless, of course, they get involved in some kind of intrigue or scandal.
At least we amateur bloggers could shut up about JM for bit – and perhaps even Zapiro might restrain himself.
Please keep the young man in the press. he’s a good example to the world why the ANC is so putrid. By blocking him out we destroy the wrecking-ball.
what would be really great is if we could get some profiling on and opinion pieces from a spectrum of youth leaders on issues such as:
-what constitutes leadership in youth
-why it is important to respect rather than play the masses
-visioning for a poverty free nation
-a hunger free nation in winter 2010
-the extent of welfare that is feasible in a country where majority of households are poor, and how to deal with the fallout
He typifies the addage, “empty vessels make the loudest noise”. My biggest, if somewhat selfish concern, is that he will “disappear” sooner rather than later especially considering what has happened in SA recently, and then where would I get my daily laugh? He is a joke and will always be one. The Press should not take him too seriously and should in fact relegate his maniacal outbursts to their humour pages. He is a cartoonist’s wet dream. His following is not as broad spread as he would have us believe. When he sang the infamous “Boer” song at a Johannesburg university recently, there were no more than 200 to 300 “supporters”( onlookers), most of whom seemed embarassed. His continual criticism of the ANC allied Trades Unions is also not prolonging his stay either.
I would like to get other peoples views on Julius Malema – do everyone agree that he is a national treasure or a national disaster? I would personally say the biggest disaster Africa has seen in a long time, in the same league as our neighbour Mugabe.
You wondered why someone was stubid enough to offer a bounty of R2mil for his head – I personally think it is worth more in the region of 2 mil Zim dollars.
It is amazing how a follow black comrade treats foreign journalists at a time so close to the biggest sporting event in the world. The whole world is currently watching South Africa and wetting themselves with laughter – what a joke this place is and for people with a little bit of power to be allowed to run our amazing country into the ground.
I would personally love to see all these loud mouths silenced. Let we get on with building our country and make it a safe place for kids to grow up and tourists to come and visit. What you are all creating is a worthless piece of crap that soon no one want to be associated with.
If you want to dig a hole – dig your own grave if you want but not mine, or your neighbour or the person down the street or anyone for that matter.
Julius who …?
Dave Harris is an ANC plant…ignore him.
yup – ignore whoever forever.
Malema’s stupidity is outweighed only by his arrogance. At least he’s giving the rest of the world a clear idea of the malevolent idiocy we have to deal with on a daily basis. The fact tha he has so many supporters tells them exactly where South Africa’s headed.. Time for big business to ship out.
The media made him what he is today and now you want to ignore him? I dont see how that is gonna help, the damage has already been done. The man is out of control.
An abstention is a vote in favour. If we do nothing about what Malema says and does, it will get worse and he will think that we support him.
Would someone please tell the ANC in general and Malema in particular that the revolution ended in 1994. What we now need is a relationship, an industrial and business revolution. If the only was the ANC can stay in power is perpetuate the ‘revolution then its long past the time for them to go or become a legitimate government “of the people for the people.”
Dear author, Julius is the flavour of the SA politics, I love his vibrancy he brings taste, vooma and keeps almost everyone in toes wondering whats next?
He is what has been missing for so long, a vibrant voice, a challenger, someone that will make everyone wants to know what to be done about him.
He is the reason ANC recieved 11 million votes and left a huge margin behind, that no other political party would ever beat, ever.
So while you mobilise that we flush him from our system, I say let us give him all the status he deserves, otherwise how will you be feeding your stomach? From 7-14 April what will you talk about, bird and the bees?
My house and I will love him forever.
That is a very good idea X Cepting, ignore Julius Malema not only for a week but for the rest of his life. He has never been worth writing about and I have always wondered why South African journalists and bloggers give him so much coverage. Writing or talking about him gives him a false sense of self-importance and the publicity encourages him to continue talking nonsense.
you have to objective, and not subjective to understand that leadership and morality can not be separated
I do hope no-one listens to you in this instance, Marius. Juju comes back from Zimbabwe sounding like a carbon copy of Bob Mugabe – and you don’t want to listen to him?
No, sorry. We need to hear every single word this man says.
However, our response should never include plaintive wails of “What is this country coming to?” While Juju mouths off, we should be watching where his money comes from.
Moodiela Mathobela:
Lucky Dube was popular.
ET was was unpopular.
JM is notorious and publicly very racist.
Two are dead, both by black hands.
Even if black hands killed the third, you’d blame that on whites.
Marius, it’s cute that you are so naiive, but personally, I’d rather know what he’s getting up to next and be prepared to watch my back.
Shut him up!
What an utterly pointless exercise.
Previous blog campaigns have stemmed from non-partisan, apolitical desires to improve South Africa and life for those people within her borders.
This is a blatant political exercise, and given your misleading headline yesterday that “the ANC” is paying for the legal defence of ETB’s allegedly killers (http://196.41.26.120/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=20a59b345e3907fd1de604a6f1b59697&topic=1368.msg4616;topicseen#msg4616), I would take anything you have to say (or write) with as big a pinch of salt as I would with Malema.
Marius, initially I thought YES purely bcause I’m sick of the subject. On reflection I realised that you probably don’t have children. Noisy kids are tiresome however quiet kids can be lethal. You ignore the silence at your peril.It would be great if we could discuss anything else as bloggers since I think we’ve all voiced our opinions repeatedly and fall into one camp or another. Keep us informed but let us let Julius go on being Julius so we know what he is doing. A talking Julius is preferable to a silent Julius because at least we know when he is up to something really bad. That is when there is silence. The guy is seriously not well either physically or mentally and we should suggest that he take a long vacation abroad. Come to think of it Zuma could send him to Israel as our ambassador or Ecuador or Haiti. That would give him a legitimate claim to being a victim of the struggle (his own). He has no business interests to care for after all so he needs a free ticket to Cuba or somehwere to learn some new dance moves and songs.