Julius Malema must be quite the conundrum for our journos and editors. Every week he has a print run boosting opinion or reaction to something or another. The man is walking circulation gold. He is also in danger of swamping the national consciousness with his often ill-delivered, though often on the mark, commentary on issues.
A situation where the national discourse is dictated by a media-savvy 28-year-old cannot be an ideal one for SA. The country and its issues are much bigger than that. Yet I challenge you to a debate on any leading issue in this country without the name Malema creeping into the discussion at a very early stage. To an outside observer he would appear to BE South African politics.
Some have suggested that he be muzzled or blacked out by the media. Some of his supporters would argue that since he has suffered more censure from the ANC than any ANC Youth League leader before him he has been censured enough. Many people would argue that a blackout of Malema has been practised by the media for a long time now, the only thing is that it only extends as far as twisting his words and quoting him selectively and out of context.
A classic example of the conundrum Malema crates for our media is the widely publicised press conference last week where Malema had a BBC journo evicted from the room for being rude and disrespectful. Well that and being a “bastard” and an “agent”. Some have suggested the journos present should all have walked out in solidarity. This view has a lot of ethical merit of course, but so is the view that their first duty should have been to stay, record and report on the event. And there is the reality that no editor wants to be the one whose publication has no angle on a Malema story.
Through our complicity he has become almost as big as the news itself. And I say our complicity because I firmly believe we let him dominate the news. There is no reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to express his views. But when we sit back, point and get indignant because his views speak to our fears or frustrations, we are ceding that space to him. We could just as easily debate the issues he raises, the merits of his take on them. We could as easily make it such that his is but one voice amongst 45 million South Africans who by and large share the same concerns: crime, corruption, job creation, Bafana Bafana’s woes etc. But it is a lot easier to point and rage.
By taking that easier option we surely cede the right to complain about him? The likes of Eugene Terre’Blanche didn’t restrict their media time to complaining about Malema. They set an alternative agenda, provided their own solutions to the problems they felt their constituency faced and rallied people around them. That for me is taking the democracy bull by the horns and being pro-active. And if a bunch on of no-hoper Neanderthals who still judge people on such accidents of fate as their skin colour can do that, it says a lot for the rest of us who choose not to.
Al Pacino summed up the likes of Malema best on Scarface when he said: “What you lookin’ at? You all a bunch of fuckin’ assholes. You know why? You don’t have the guts to be what you wanna be? You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your fuckin’ fingers and say, ‘That’s the bad guy’. So … what that make you? Good? You’re not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie. Me, I don’t have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie. So say good night to the bad guy! Come on. The last time you gonna see a bad guy like this again, let me tell you. Come on. Make way for the bad guy. There’s a bad guy comin’ through! Better get outta his way!”
Well done! If we spent our time debating the issues such as nationalization of mines, for example, without getting distracted by rants about Malema, I’m sure we would have made some progress. Or at least clarified what the issues are.
The “press” has jointly decided not to exclude JM from their coverage. We might as well enjoy the ride in the comedy section.
Why for once don’t our journalists be objective when reporting on Malema’s rhetoric’s. Why do they focus on only the bad things and none of them focus on the things that the guy actually raises and says in between the stupid things he says? Take the Zim story for instance. No one wanted to cover the positives out of that story, things like Malema said it straight to the guys not to use violence:
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-04-09-the-militant-pacifist
Take for instance the press conference, No one wrote about the actual press conference, they only reported on the journalist kicked out. And some of those who were there will tell you straight that he(kicked out journo) came with his own agenda and he was disrespectful from the word go. He was not there to hear about Malema’s findings in Zim, he was for other reasons but the actual press conference.
Suggestions?? Have a daily interview with the man and let him run out of steam, contradict himself and then crucify him by taking the mickey out of him.
Come journo’s be creative, you have the tools.
Start praising the man, praise him right into his “self dug” grave.
“…ill-delivered, though often on the mark, commentary…”
So, you agree with his views then?
I don´t know the history of the ANC very well besides what people like Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, Steve Biko, Thabo Mbeki, Chris Hani, Tito Mboweni, Trevor Manuel, Maria Ramos, Gill Marcus, Jacob Zuma amongst others did in the name of the ANC. They are the ones I know something about.
All I know is that Julius Malema single-handedly destroyed a lot of ANC prestige and credibility in a very short time.
I think the ANC was seen to be in a different league from the normal African liberation movements. Now, Malema placed the ANC firmly in the midst of the normal African run-of-the mill liberation movement.
People do not seem to know how to effectively stop people like Robert Mugabe, Hugo Chavez and Julius Malema.
A stunning article. The opportunity the likes of Malema afford us is to find our voices as South Africans. He is simply saying, albeit very badly, and with little rational reflection, something of what lies beneath the surface of this country’s psyche. We too can take on this task, and begin reflecting earnestly on what lies beneath the surface of The Rainbow Nation. We are all more racist than we know, we are all more prejudiced than we care to admit. We need to own up to these sort of things, even if just to ourselves. That way perhaps we’ll not need to be so defensive when next this accusation is hurled at us. The question is not “am I prejudiced?” but “how am I prejudiced?” Let’s own up to these things, and get on with honestly reflecting on who we are, and what we can bring to the dialogue of this country-in-transformation. It’s not meant to be easy. Until we begin this, a collective lowest-common denominator consciousness will continue to have the ascendency. That’s what the Malemas of the world rely on to give them more power. Let’s get on with the work of finding our voices as South Africans. Great work, Siyabonga.
‘Even if I lie, I always tell the truth’. I like that ‘Bad Guy’
Malema purports to speak for the ANC then he is saying things that the ANC do not agree with. For example siding with ZANU-PF against the MDC. For saying that the ANC governemnt is going to start with Zimbabwe type land grabs. For telling all of us that Mugabe has set an example for us all to follow despite the obvious destruction and crime that Muagbe has left in his wake. If Melema has valid suggestions thats one thing, if he is making policy for the ANC then he is sending us back into a revolution.
Uy’hlabe es’khonkosini Ntshings. Sometimes Juju says what a lot of ppl want to say but are too scared coz they want to appear politically correct, he doesnt always go about it the correct way and more often than not he does not think his responses (maybe he doesnt have the capacity to…)
The example you gave about his latest utterances and chasing the BBC Reporter out of Luthuli House, to this day I have no idea what the Reporter asked him..that is a classic example of selective reporting. Yet there were camera’s there..I dont condone his response it was idiotic to say the least..but I would love to know what the poor English man said to provoke such…
There was one interview done by the M&G a couple of weeks ago..that was comprehensive, showed all sides of the story.. the Times then decided to choose certain parts of the interview…just shows.
Succinctly put.
Much as I dislike Juju, I’ll say this for him:
He has scratched scabs and shown that the wounds are not all healing cleanly.
He has made us rethink and re-argue a number of issues (race, socio-economics, nationality etc.) which we have conveniently decided to put behind us and forget. This goes for all race groups.
Much of this debate is still from-the-hip and emotional (think M&G comments) and shows an immaturity – but we have a national debate and its getting more honest and intelligent as we go.
Africa’s not for sissies
The falling tree the woods come to mind. If there is no-one to listen, will it make a sound? If the journos in SA were worth one grain of salt, they would find better things to write about.
Next time Malema calls a media conference and all agree not to turn up, what will he do? Jump up and down and cry like a baby? Let him. We should not be there to listen.
Siyabonga, I applauded M&G recently for not placing Malema on the front pages and trusted that other news media would follow suit – but they are in business to make profit and if a person or an event has caught the imagination of a society then print and sell it. So I say to myself, ‘if you can’t stop them (the media) then join them.’ So here goes:
I have this uncomfortable feeling that Malema has an evil ambition to lead another revolution, Castronian or Mugabian style to mention but two.
I feel he has become disillusioned with the ‘softness’on how the ANC is governing this country and how his party tolerates its opposition. His attitude towards the hierarchy of the ANC, including President Zuma, is akin to to a Judas. Unwittingly, Zuma stated that Malema could be a future President of the ANC. How I hope he now regrets making that prediction. Malema, if you are reading this and you feel that my comments are totally unfounded, then I humbly apologise – but please prove me wrong by changing your bullish attitude. Respect your elders/leaders. Yes, you are entitled to voice your opinion but express them with dignity and have respect for opinions of others. Your so called ‘revolution’ ended on the 27th April 1994. It’s time to sustain the building of the country together peacefully, black and white.
I understand the National Press Club and SANEF mulled the muzzling of Malema when they held an extraordinary meeting last Friday.
However, being the principled media people that they are, it was decided it would be wrong to deny Julius coverage.
Methinks, however, that the imperatives of a commercially-driven media weighed in his favour.
The boy sells…as much as he outrages.
From the far taller-than-average height of the Sunday papers left standing in my local Spar last week at 15:30, it appears that JM has outlived his media usefulness.
For every story about what he says, I would like to see honest points of view from the professionals, analysts, etc.
Take mine nationalisation, for instance. There’s JM’s take, Coasatu’s take, Aurora’s take, the industry take, the financial take, etc. What a satisfying DPS that would be to read.
There’s so much to say about it and so much education needed in this country. Why waste the space on larger-than-life mugshots of a man who clearly needs psychological rehabilitation? He must be an imminent danger to the son he blurts about!
That too, would be an ideal chance to discuss our water situation, AMD poisoning, the need for government to take firm control financially and the allegation made in the labour court yesterday that there are plans afoot to raise water prices by 18 times. I can just see myself showering in Valpre…
PS reporters are one thing, journalists quite another.
@Andre Steyn on April 13th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Yours is one of the most objective comments I have ever read on this platform. And I agree 100% with you there.
What I have noticed is that people prefer to talk about the bad that Malema say but not the actuall thorny issues that he raises. It seems like the Coconuts and a good percentage of white SAfricans have decided that we must forget these thorny issues that he raises and we must just move on.
What Julius has done was to prove that in SA the whites are pretending it never happened and the blacks pretend that they have forgiven. No one wants to face these issues head on and Malema does that for us, he keeps the conversation going, he makes sure that we don’t suppress the feeling of the majority of SAFRICANS and end up with an eruption of the frustrated masses a few years down the line.
Well said. The bad boy raises issues that others avoid. He is right about many of the burning issues such as land distribution, inequality, education and race. There is a dire need to find solutions to problems, as you correctly relate, even the bearded ET could see this and tried to do something about what he saw as a problem. Ju Ju is not the problem. The problems are well know to everyone, its the solutions that are elusive. Come what may, there will be land redistribution, nationalisation of mineral rights, meaningful empowerment and hopefully representative government.
Yes, lets all discuss issues being raised and ignore behavioral pattern of an individual, beacause it all turn out so petty. The time being spent on Malema personality will rather be spent well if we start discussing ‘how best can South Africa achieve equitable/acceptable distribution of wealth as a necessary precondition for Socio-Economic justice, Social Cohesion, Decreasing crime level, reconciliation and nation-building. Could it be through nationalisation or any other form – lets focus on the merits and demerits of case and the dominant and viable idea will emerge a winner. Suppressing debates like our media is always obsessed with will never assist us find each other. So is up to you so-called thought leaders to know that discussing an individual and not issues only assist in elevating the individual in question into a hero well before time and performance allows – do the right thing, stop obssession!
I might be wrong but I thought the press suggested resolving the issue by covering Malema, but not on the front page.
@ Pat Mlanduli
After Malema tried to put the MDC down by commenting that their office was in Sandton, the reporter pointed out that he (Malema) lived in Sandton too.. he wants to create an image that he fights for the little guy who lives in shacks. The reporter’s comments showed everyone what a hypocrite he is, and that made him angry, hence his ‘cultured’ response.
I think we need a way of letting this conversation move beyond just blogging and turn it into a national debate where we shall come to agreed action plans, allocate responsibilities and have time lines for deliverables…maybe the latter part will take time and a bit of effort, but I think its worth a try…
Tempers will flare but thats the nature of the beast…I seriously believe there is a lot more SA’ns thinking like most of you and wanting to seriously move this country forward as opposed to a finger pointing exercise which will only make the situation worse…
A lot more ppl are flying the SA flag on their cars, wearing Bafana and the Bokke tshirts…to me that says a lot. Embracing and celebrating the things that unite SA’ns…