When ANC Youth League President Julius Malema addressed the National Press Club in Pretoria recently — following his being heckled and booed by SACP delegates at Polokwane — he stated that this type of conduct was an invitation to war which the ANCYL was accepting.
After all, how dare they, fellow members of the tripartite alliance, having the audacity to question his morality or authority.
The fact that his lifestyle and conduct towards their leaders was somewhat unfortunate still didn’t give them the right to stand in judgement of him, a man born to poverty and dedicated to the poor. Perhaps somehow they had mistaken his house warming parties, Sandton home and fancy cars for wealth, when he in reality he was as poor as the poorest and as humble as a monk.
This was of course before the lifestyle audit demonstrated that he was far wealthier than had been anticipated and places the SACP apology to the ANC for booing him in context. If he was worthy of derision at Polokwane, how much more appropriate would that be right now? Moreover, if the delegates at Polokwane felt aggrieved at the conduct of what was then perceived to be a far poorer Malema what would their opinion of him be now?
An apology means that the party giving it feels badly about their conduct, which in hindsight they believe to have been wrong. In this case that the delegates at a Communist Party special conference “wrongly” booed Malema because of his treatment of their leaders and, far more importantly, because he lives like a capitalist.
Is SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande seriously suggesting that his members, having found out that Malema is far wealthier than even they had believed when they booed him, would want him to apologise for their conduct?
This is where we see a classic example of how the conflation of party interests and ideology can occur when membership of the tripartite alliance takes precedence over the very basis for an individual member’s existence. In this case it translates to full blown communists apologising to a capitalist after finding out that he was even more of a capitalist than they thought he was at the time they told him off.
Expedience, thy name is “Putawaythemoralcompass”.
After all, why would the delegates at a communist rally have a problem with a comrade who leads the calls for nationalisation and socialism but lives like a full blown capitalist?
Absurd — must be a personality problem or just total disrespect.
What’s more, Malema emerged from the recent ANCYL NEC sounding a dire warning to ANC leaders who dared to defy the league’s policy positions which was primarily to follow a path of seeking support for the nationalising of mines and the establishment of a state mining company to control the country’s mineral resources prior to the ANC’s policy and elective conferences in 2012.
His rallying call being along the lines of Madiba — President Nelson Mandela — had fought for freedom, the present generations fight is for economic freedom without which the masses could never be truly free.
Accordingly, a full blown capitalist in nature leading the call for nationalisation of the mines and other goodies in the interests of the masses.
The Sunday Times has today written the next chapter in the history of the poorest of the poor and champion of the masses.
“Julius Malema — who has been driving a campaign to nationalise the country’s mines — has emerged as a key lobbyist in the controversial sale of a major state-owned mining asset.
The Sunday Times can today reveal that the government stake in Limpopo-based ASA Metals, valued at R250-million, will be given to a host of politically connected individuals despite it being earmarked for the poor.
They include soccer boss Irvin Khoza and Kgomotso Motlanthe, the son of deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.”
Speculation is rife that the nationalisation campaign is intended to put pressure on Sinosteel — one of the largest trading companies in China — to relinquish its majority shareholding in ASA Metals.
Accordingly, and as widely anticipated, if what the Sunday Times and Eyewitness News are saying is true, then in the event that there is nationalisation of the country’s assets then the last people who will benefit from it will be the masses. Moreover, that while this country is about to pay the price for bandying about the ridiculous notion that we are thinking of nationalising certain industries — thereby occasioning an opportunity cost running into the billions in lost investment — the real reason behind it is so that certain fatcats can extort investors out of their shares.
This means that while Cosatu, who genuinely do believe in some nationalisation and the SACP, who believe in substantial state control of the country’s major assets, are scratching their heads the remaining member of the tripartite alliance are leading the call on “nationalisation” (wink, wink) while playing Come Feather My Nest with the country’s assets.
Capitalists that nationalise and communists that drive fancy cars? No wonder the masses are slightly bemused.
We have become a nation of chameleons where nothing is as it seems and nobody true to their type.
Unfortunately, when the masses finally do run out of patience with the games people are playing right now they will be crushing those in the hot seat like insects. At that point they won’t care who claims to be what, the fact that certain individuals are in possession of the country’s wealth while they are starving will prove irresistible. The reintroduction of the death penalty outside the criminal justice system.
” My… suspicion is that, there is a section of society which is smitten with Julius Malema and they hate themselves for helplessly and secretly falling in love with Julius Malema, again and again. Malema is like a comedian, satirist or village prophet who gets to vocalise the things we know, think and feel but dare not acknowledge, let alone verbalise.
I learn more about what is going on in the ruling party and in the alliance from Malema’s outbursts and indiscretions than I would ever know from official spokespersons. Whatever they do, I pray they will neither silence nor dump Malema. Face it South Africa; you need and love, your Malema dilemma.” Tinyiko Maluleke
http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/tinyikosammaluleke/2009/12/17/our-much-loved-malema-dillema/
The nationalization “debate” has been an obvious ruse from the start.
“We have become a nation of chameleons where nothing is as it seems and nobody true to their type”.
Ne’er a truer word…..
“Unfortunately, when the masses finally do run out of patience with the games people are playing right now they will be crushing those in the hot seat like insects”.
I wish we could believe….Watch out for military and police hierarchy in Porche’s, lambo’s and Hummers…when that happens, the theory of ‘crushing those in the hot seat like insects’ will dissapear to be replaced by ‘crushing those in revolt like insects’.
On Malema: his true colours have been flying high for some time. He should be suspended without further ado and left to face the ever-mounting charges against him. The longer the ANC leave him be, the more evident it becomes that his attitude is condoned. I fear that it is……
BEWARE!
The writing is on the wall.
HISTORY IS GOING TO REPEAT ITSELF.
The massas are not sleeping!!
As in Zimbabwe where the raping of the country was to the benefit of the ruling party by stealing farms, so too in South Africa do we have racial connotations being raised such as Kill The Farmer, Kill the Boer to try to divert the voters attention from what really is happening. LWe are going back to anti white rhetoric whilst the black fat cats prepare to rape the country and deprive us all of a once good future. Malema is a disgrace to us all and is proving to be a good understudy to his “Daddy” JZ.
Mr. Trapido, the SACP weren’t booing Malema because he is rich, for there are plenty of Communists who are richer capitalists than he is. They were booing him because he criticised one of their number for attacking him. It was pure tribal loyalty.
Of course the leaders of this government are stealing. What do you think they took power for? To serve the people? Luckily, they can focus your attention upon Julius Malema.
Interesting, however, that the Sunday Times is attacking Motlanthe. I would presume that this is the Sexwale faction (remember that Sexwale has a controlling interest in Avusa, the newspaper’s parent) undermining Motlanthe to make sure he does not succeed Zuma. (Of all the likely candidates, Motlanthe is probably the least odious successor.)
Will the masses ever be able to rise up? I doubt it.
South Africa is a mirror image of Zimbabwe. The people are unarmed so the authorities will easily crush any dissent.
Forget about changing things at the polls – the ANC-PF have learnt a few things from their comrades ZANU-PF.
It is genuinly true that we live in the nation of chamelions because the call for transparency fell on deaf ears.They are political actors who on the public face support us while personally they are undermining our political level of intelligency.This acters(politicians) uses our support and votes useslesly for their own personal gain and thereby leading a hypocritical lifestyle when they come out in the public.How normal can a capitalist call upon nationalisation or rather a communist who stand by the slogan that echoes mutualism drive fancy SUVs and own fancy mansions while their comrade suffers a great deal but yet rally behind them?..NO this is obsurd and has to stop before it promulgate farther.
Oh No! Not Mothlante as well! Is there no one in the current leadership of the ANC we can actually trust? “The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.” I think we can apply the foregoing to both JZ and JM quite easily. What a tragedy for RSA – again I say – the most dangerous man in RSA is JZ followed closely by his rather louder “clone” JM. If we cannot get rid of the bulk of the current ANC leadership the next time round God help us all.
Cde Malema or not ANCYL will never lose power to fight for the poor South African. Don’t put all A
What fire are talking about.The ANC is the organisation of the people and members in all branches inform the policies of the organisation.It is not run by the management committee and please do not compare the ANC with ZANPF because the PF stand for patriotic front. When people go for elections when the IEC has called for one they do not vote for the patrotic front or alliance but the ANC as the leader of the MDM.
You need to join this organisation and understand its history before can write articles like this one, because i have been observing the style of your writing indeed you wish the ANC should just disolve so that all this counter revolutionery organisation can lead this country to the hands of US and Britain.
I am an educated cost accounttant and also worked in various industry capitalism has failed even SASOL during the weekend newspaper management of this big global oil supply which was formaly own by the GOVERNMENT OF SA, but when they had that blacks will lead was sold to private sectors is now requesting government to assist them with money for infrastructure what that tell you as a men on the street. Lets Nationalise all this big company because they are requesting bailout but when they receive profit they forget that this government has helped them then they start to reduce employee and hire contract workers.
We will not stop figthing untill a black man is free.
Traps,
I do not believe that a Politician himself or herself needs to be poor in order to try to advance the interests of the poor.
There are plenty of examples worldwide of extremely rich people positioning themselves as the “champions of the poor” (especially when the poor are in the majority, or at least a very significant constituency).
Remember Anthony Wedgewood Benn of Britain in the 1970′s, the “friend of the left” – a multi-millionaire married to an American heiress.
Hugo Chavez of Venezuela? Evita Peron of Argentina?
Ju Ju would probably say “so what if I am mega rich now, I was born into poverty and know what it is to be poor – the fact that I have bucks now does not preclude me from advancing the interests of the poor”.
And he would be right, notwithstanding the question of HOW he attained his wealth,given his lack of education and marketable skills (different issue, different argument).
Peter L – You are absolutely right – a politician doesn’t have to be poor to represent the poor. We don’t want an entire nation of poverty stricken people. What we do want is a nation where our poor are reasonably housed, fed, clothed, well educated, have their health needs taken care of, have a basic electricity and water allowance. We want a clean, safe, secure country with a vibrant economy. What we don’t want is politicians becoming filthy rich via corruption, theft, bribery and tender rigging. We don’t want politicians who are meant to represent a mostly poverty stricken constituency flaunting massive wealth and opulent lifestyles – it’s just provocative and inflammatory – especially when we don’t know how they are supporting such an opulent lifestyle. In fact, in general the wealthy people in RSA – no matter their position – would do well to be sensitive about living opulent, ostentatious lifestyles – the world over where you have the very rich living alongside the abjectly poor, violent crime blossoms. So, in RSA, it is in everyone’s interest to live comfortably modest lifestyles rather than “flash it around” – use the excess money for the not so obvious luxuries or alternatively, use it to assist the not so fortunate – give a poor child an opportunity they wouldn’t ordinarily have – build a couple of houses for the poor – whatever. Crass materialism is distateful anywhere really.
SA doesn’t have any enemies except those Julius & co invent so that they can appropriate ‘enemy’ assets for themselves. So black dude/comrade you wanna buy into the mirage – you do that. As for me, maybe best I move on before I end up in a replay of the Zim nightmare.
Rose and Peter indeed your both objective regarding the matter in question. I happen to leave in more developed part of cape town and also considered a middle class because I am a manager, but I am member of the union which most of our management view it as backwards because at the level I am one need to associate himself with managers only not with the working class and even during holiday at home in Limpopo I still perform community services like any ordinary member of the community regardless of my education level.
I have realise that most people are still mentaly imprison and do not consider people who are wealthy or the have to advocate for the rights of the have not.Forgetting that most of the struggle in this country has been championed by the most educated and wealthy people. Some have decided not to follow their career in order to champion the struggle for the poor.As Cde Malema indicated that if indeed he got the BID for R140million as allege that amount should be given to poor people, he presented donations many times like giving school kids shoes, houses , bursary and eventhough it might not have been his money but the influence he has used to get those donation has helped the most disadvantage community.Because of this academic and economic debate the country is getting working and thinking everyday. The character of the youth is not constant as they change with time.Aluta continua!
Agreed Rose.
“Julius the Juvenile” with apologies to Roald Dahl
No activist is half as vile
as Julius the Juvenile
On Saturdays he likes to shout
Kill the farmers; drive them out
And he especially enjoys
Visiting the killers of little boys.
He swears and screams and moans a lot
About stuff that the rich folk have got
But oh Julius don’t you see?
You’re so much richer than even me.
You have a watch worth many rands,
are those mining tenders in your hands?
It’s such a super mavelous treat,
To have people scraping at your feet.
At least that’s Julius’ point of view.
He aught to know. He has a few.
That’s all for now. I have to go.
To see the next act in his show.
Ignorance? That’s just his style.
It’s Julius the Juvenile.
Crocky Wock – I hope you sent this to the print copy of the Mail and Guardian or Sunday times – it’s so good – sums him up quite nicely!