By Theo Mapheto
No doubt, Julius Malema must be the most talked about politician in the country. In the northern suburbs, no dinner table chit-chat is ever complete without a blow-by-blow account of his latest exploits; his woodwork skills being the common butt of jokes and all. Adding fuel to water, President Zuma has issued by far his sternest rebuke — at least publicly — of the headline-grabbing youth leader. Damn, he even went as far as hinting that Malema might not even make the cut in the next elective conference of the ANC Youth League. This couldn’t come at a more inopportune time, what with the recent goings-on involving Malema’s memorable tussle with the Young Communist League. A death knell to the upstart’s political career, some say.
You may want to put the champagne on hold. Malema is not about to disappear from the radar screen. Not now, not ever!
As clichéd as this may sound, Malema is a voice for the voiceless. At the last count, the majority of young people in the villages and townships were twiddling their thumbs with no prospect of finding any gainful employment. In Malema they see one of their own, an autie who can say it like it is. Because of apartheid’s funny spatial realities, many in the suburbs haven’t the faintest idea of what goes on in the ghettoes.
Let’s face it, the Rainbow Nation is a monumental farce; I cringe every time the Arch swoons about it. It is clear here that wishful thinking (you see, the Arch is an eternal optimist) is at odds with practical reality. How many white South Africans support South African soccer teams? I guess soccer is unattractive until Manchester United or Liverpool jet into the country.
These are very uncomfortable questions to ask, hence Malema is the sacrificial lamb on the altar of political correctness. Since the halcyon Mandela years, we have excelled in papering over cracks to the fallacy that is the Rainbow Nation. We make the mistake of thinking that an interracial hug in celebration of a Springboks win (for that is the only time that South Africans rally behind a single cause) seals the non-racial pact of Mandela et al. And we get despondent once the rainbow mirage — excuse the pun — is exposed for what it is. Forget the argument that HIV does not cause Aids, that is the very height of denialism.
I suggest a solution. Take time to look beyond the rhetoric and reflect on what the young man says, particularly on thorny issues we conveniently put on the back burner of our national consciousness. Rather than dismiss his statements as kindergarten claptrap, this should be a cue to engaging on an honest discussion about race relations. Yes, about black dispossession and white privilege, and more. About fear that motivates the Brandon Huntleys — he of Canadian infamy — of this world!
If we don’t engage in meaningful dialogue, there will be many Malemas demanding change*.
*Tomorrow, this may not be a Nando’s joke but something more ominous.
Theo Mapheto is a lawyer, youth activist and legal commentator
With few exceptions support for this blog comes from blacks and criticism from whites. SA blacks, even the so-called educated ones think Malema is great because he gets thinking (white) people upset by the rubbish he speaks. The Semenya saga showed him and Winnie up for what they are, for all to see: opportunistic racists. Comedians/political cabaret artists need just repeat what was said by those two jokers about that ‘little girl’, it will keep people laughing for years to come. Not their voters though.
Yes, Malema is an intelligent person. And yes, he speaks for the poor and disenfranchised black South Africans more than (almost) anyone else I can think of.
I heard an interview with him on Radio 2000 last year and I was impressed with the thought and intelligence that went into his replies. Anyone who thinks he is a fool is themselves ignorant of the facts.
What concerns this whitey is that the rhetoric of race and aggression will not take us where we want to go as a nation. And it seems that the Malema-lovers and the Malema-haters both suffer from the same disease: being unable to describe the man accurately.
The haters want to demonise him and characterise him as a fool, an uneducated bumpkin, a rabble-rouser and so on. The lovers want to deify him as their saviour, the only one who understands the plight of the poor, a future leader, and so on.
The truth is that he is somewhere in the middle. He has the potential to be a great leader, but I don’t see it happening if he continues in his current path, playing to the crowds, stirring up debate by being provocative and playing to the prejudices of both sides.
I agree that he is here to stay. I just think that people’s reactions to him say more about us as a polarised nation than they do about the man himself. We are projecting instead of introspecting.
I personally find that Malema is providing SA with an invaluable service. His supporters can be publically identified as those most likely to have been prejudiced in the common sense department during their conception. As such these people are of little practical consequence in a civilized society.
@Paul. You make quite a compelling point and I have to agree with you. This says more about us than about Malema. How else would our support/criticsm be divided along racial lines? Because of that, I have to agree with you Theo, we should get talking. Not only that, we should start doing.
A top South African journalist and author believes that ANC Youth League President Julius Malema has his sights set on becoming the country’s next president.
The World According to Julius Malema – which documents his meteoric rise to power into “the most influential politician” in the ANC – written by veteran journalist Max du Preez and co-authored by journalist Mandy Rossouw, was launched yesterday.
President Jacob Zuma has reportedly said the African National Congress youth leader does sometimes go “overboard”.
Zuma was quoted as saying: “We’ve got to talk to Julius, we’ve got to grow him [and] make him to become a leader that we want to know.”
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20090917103946909C423151
Haven’t read any of the 55 comments(!) but want to say I agree with you. LISTEN to Julius – MANY many young voters are. He strikes a chord that the fatcat kleptocracy does not (especially when they’re trying to be PC or trying to “reassure investors”).
Ah Vusi, a couple of notes. Sure there was all sorts of terrible “things” during apartheid but should we compare ourselves to-day to them? Thank goodness it’s over. Other countries have the terrible “things” too, but statistics show them to be at way lower levels than SA. As for action, absolutely fantastic but it’s often nothing or very little (Mr Shaik – good lad that). As for black people doing well that is also fantastic to fight through a poor education system, rise above AA and BEE and provide a backbone to SA. I never in a million years believe whites can do it – the best they can do is contribute.
But in all these things, do we really need a leader like Julius Malema, busy ranting and inciting racism, scaring whites into leaving. Or one who can actually cement the population and deliver things other than words. Things like houses, water, toilets, education, safety etc.
AIDS and foetal alcohol syndrome and car-hijacking and minibus taxi overcrowding are also not going to disappear, not now, not ever either.
Just because something isn’t going to disappear, ever, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing really worth having. Indelible doesn’t equal incredible.
I think Julius and the author of this piece are populists.
Theo my this is great,a phenomenal approach to what has ripped this country in a while and i salute you for such a remarkable,thought provoking correct artcle.Julius,not only is he the most talked about politician but the most negetively talked about politicia but not a single negetive comment from such urtterances make a dent on his life.The brother is definetely not about to dissarpear anytime soon and those that cannot live with that may as well join the Hundleys and ship to Canada.And as for this Rainbow Nation thing,it is an absolute farce,in need of a re-dress because so far the impact it has made has resulted in more deaths,threads,racial abuse and intollerence among the very same nation it was suppose to unite.It is high time we south africans begin a firce dialogue that would address this desppicable farnace it has ripped our country-change that we be-moan almost every single sunrise and sunset.Youths,like Malemas demand change,untill the is change,they will not dissarpear not now not anytime soon.