African National Congress Youth League President Julius Malema has warned South African President Jacob Zuma that the ANCYL has been infiltrated and that his comrades have started turning against him.
He says the youth league conferences are being split and points to events in the Limpopo and the Eastern Cape as evidence of the insurrection. More sinister, according to Malema, is the fact that there is a businessman — who is to be arrested — funding the party rebels.
He claims that the reason for this third force is simple, weaken the youth league, the ANC’s first line of defence, and you can destroy the party.
In context this might be a lot easier to explain.
Malema’s own election as president of the ANCYL was against a backdrop of bitter in-fighting and mudslinging which culminated in the butt-showing conference in Bloemfontein. In fact the delegates conducted themselves so poorly that even Zuma was forced to take delegates to task.
As such warring factions within the ANCYL, during elections, is nothing new and of course Malema is currently running for a second term. In addition, addressing the president on disruptions at ANCYL conferences is like telling Eskom your lights have gone off and expecting them to get excited about it.
As far as arresting a businessman for sponsoring “the rebels” goes it will be of major interest to find out what the basis is therefore. What are they going to charge him for?
The most important issue I’ve saved for last ie that the motive behind “these” disruptions — how do they distinguish them from other ANCYL conferences ending in chaos — is a sinister plot to weaken the youth league and thereby destroy the ANC.
Without boring the pants off everyone by recapping all the events that have led to Malema being disciplined by the ANC, which pose a far bigger threat to the wellbeing of the ruling party than any weakening of the ANCYL would ever do, I find it strange that the youth league president has failed to point out why his fall from power would weaken the youth movement.
As things stand they are alienating the left by incessant attacks on Cosatu and the SACP and causing disquiet in the centre with their approach to inter alia Zimbabwe, Afrikaners and business.
It would seem that a new youth league president might be just the tonic the party and the country needs right now.
Moreover Malema fails to set out what exactly this third force stands for, other than replacing Juju at the top of the pile.
Of course by moving the fight away from an attack on his position — for ineptitude and turning the ANCYL into an ill-disciplined rabble — and making it into something sinister aimed at destroying the ANC he hopes to call on support from above in ending this growing resistance to his leadership.
Unfortunately for him it is hard to see why anyone, other than those with vested interest in his support at a later date, would want to intervene against the possibility of someone else being elected to his position.
Whoever it is they can only have more respect for the ANC, the alliance and the image of the ANCYL than the current president.
Let the kids play on their own — they’ll find their own solution.
Strangly this makes me think of Castro or Mugabe. Keep your power by arresting anyone who might stand in your way and get rid of anyone that questions your authority, and to make yourself look like the hero, claim it was a conspiracy against the Government.
It appears that Juju’s trip to dictatorship countries are paying off.
Bloody agents everywhere.
Ah, poor Foolius. Enemies of the revolution are plotting against him. And a ‘businessman’ is bankrolling them. Of course, all of these people remain anonymous so the press can’t follow up on the allegations.
What is more disturbing is how Malema set up Zuma. The banner over the president’s head asserted that nationalisation would be policy by 2012. Zuma was seated behind Foolius and largely blocked from view. Quelle manœuvre!
With Zuma basically ambushed and held captive, Foolius proceeded to tie the cords of obligation around Zuma’s ankles by insisting that Zuma will be president in 2012 and long after. Talk about ‘emotional blackmail’! How can Zuma discipline such a devoted supporter? And just for good measure Foolius referred to the MaNtuli scandal as beneath Zuma’s notice. (No doubt it’s part of the overall ‘plot’ by the un-named counter-revolutionary forces to embarrass the president…Right.)
Can no one rid us of this ridiculous menace to the stability of the country?
Interesting, the comment by Stu on June 7th, 2010 at 3:06 pm. It is clear that Malema has stated he is fighting a revolution, but with his shifting allegiances it could only be a revolution of an alienated Malema alone, supported by his power base (stating ‘let us trash Cape Town and make it ungovernable’), namely the unruly yet organized mob. Hitler’s popularity and ‘democratic’ rise to power relied on exactly the same tactics, namely post-depression unemployment and poverty, nationalism, and propaganda. The struggle against Apartheid is being misused to bring support for the Malema revolution, Malema unlike Castro or Mugabe not a struggle hero. How can it be surprising that there is not dissent in his organization after his statements and behavior (and is that not healthy, after all they claim democracy within their ‘structures’). And is Zuma, challenged on many fronts, so dependant on this mob?
“At the same time, over the last five years we have also experienced breakdown of organisational discipline within leadership collectives, which required interventions to safeguard the unity and cohesion of the movement and to make it possible for members to remain at the centre of the organisation. We have observed that where there is a breakdown of political cohesion, discipline becomes the victim.
In the NEC, we have experienced tendencies of members failing to raise their views openly in the structures of the movement, and then undermining decisions through such actions as leaks to the media. We have also seen the erosion of the unity of this collective through members attacking each other or the movement in the public domain, without having raised their concerns within the structures of the movement…
We have also reported to the NGC on the challenges being in power has on the structures of the movement. We found that the issues dividing leadership of some of our provinces are not of a political nature, but have mainly revolved around access to resources, positioning themselves or others to access resources, dispensing patronage and in the process using organisational structures to further these goals…These practices tarnish the image and effectiveness of the movement.
Secretary General’s Report. ORGANISATIONAL REPORT TO THE 51ST NATIONAL CONFERENCE
http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/conf/conference51/index.html
And the Youth Leagues backing of Gama (guilt) ?
And Siphiwe Nyanda’s backing of Gama (guilty) ?
mmmmmmmm Vavi – Good timing.
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-06-07-siyabonga-gama-guilty-says-transnet
The arrogance. Malema thinks and believes that the ANCYL, and perhaps also the ANC, exists to keep him in power.
The “third force” is the biggest irony in South African politics. Apparently there is one in rugby and now within the ANC. It’s time for government to man up to the fact that the public/voters are the third force and have become alienated. The ANC have pushed out all the intellectuals and people with a moral backbone who should be running the country. So government is now filled with people who only know how to destroy. Its not that hard to work out this puzzle. Good article Traps.
I was laughing before I’d even read past the second paragraph. The ANCYL has been “infiltrated”.
Is this the Cold War? Do we now have spies infiltrating a Youth League organisation that has made itself a laughing stock by virtue of the rantings of its leader?
And if its not laughable enough that someone has infiltrated, they are now going to arrest the mastermind behind the whole thing.
Does Julius fancy some time in prison? If he wants to arrest the person responsible for driving the ANCYL apart, he’ll have to arrest himself.
What a very silly boy/man he is. Rich, but silly.
Malema will cling to power as long as he can using vile tactics. Real democracy within the YL will remain distant until someone unseats him….Malema and his cronies remain a threat to the ANC and current ‘democracy’ in SA. If the older wiser ANC does not dispel of Malema like governance the tripartite alliance will crumble with the ANC. What we need to find out is if this would be good for politics in SA?
Bye bye ANC! The only way is down from here. In a matter of weeks they have had to back down on the disciplinary of Malema and Vavi.
It is a matter of time before somebody with a support base (i.e. Vavi), realises that the ANC needs him more than he needs them.
The local government elections are going to be instructive.
Well, how typical of the African politician – Zuma, Mbeki, Selebi, et al, and now Julius himself; have all been victims of ‘conspiracies’ when they get revealed for what they are. Conspiracy has been the boring and predictable anthem of the continent’s tyrants & dictators for 50 years. What’s new?
Interestingly, having used the ‘one boyfriend, one girlfriend’ message (mainly to undermine Zuma, I think following the so caled disciplinary action) now the laddie is supporting Zuma by saying that he shouldn’t be worried by adverse ‘petty’ comments regarding his marital affairs. Thoroughly contradictory don’t you think? Perhaps it has impinged upon his small brain that without Zuma he may well loose status and YL power. It is clear that Malema is loosing much support within his league and the activities of his ‘Youf’ are alienating a great many previous supporters of the ANC. Now he is also mad enough to suggest his ANC cadres should be allocated jobs owing to their expertise in recruiting yobs into the YL and distributing leaflets! So he is unaware of employment laws and the Constitution. But I suppose must hold out bribes to his sheep. As you say Trapps, let the kid continue to throw his toys out of the cot – soon he will have none left!
Do you know if his fine was ever paid and who to?
If Malema in particular and the ANCYL in general would spend their time seeing to the upliftment of the youth, instead of making ridiculous economic proposals and policy decisions it would be good. The ANCYL seems not to care for the youth other than to garner their votes. The ANCYL involves iteself in politics and infighting instead of doing something constructive. Their behaviour in Cape Town with the toilet saga is all about trashing the DA and nothing about assisting in service delivery. As long as the ANC is in charge of service delivery, but fail to provide that service, the YL will make it their business to stop anyone else, i.e. the DA to provide a good service.
Malema has outlived his shelf life and should go back to school and learn how to be constructive and not destructive. The ANCYL credo is “If it works and someone other than the ANC made it, then it must be destroyed.
The way I see these “desperate outbursts”:-Juju..is begining to see the writing on the wall. And it isnt just about no longer being the head of a “organisation” and not being able to shout his mouth off..but maybe ,he is looking at things a bit further down the line…ie.Namely:Keeping himself away from prosecution and some very prying questions and a possible jail term if things dont “go too smoothly”.. with charges of ?? dubious untendered contracts to his cronies/?? Self Enrichement/??unaccounted income/??tax evasion etc. If he ,”goes down”…these questions are surely going to be raised by his sucessor. Maybe Juju isnt the “smartest cherry on the tree”…but maybe, this is becoming obvious, even to him! He has got a lot to lose..and his “presedential title” would be the least of his concerns ! If I were Juju..I would be a worried little puppy !? Things aint looking that great and methinks,the fight..has just begun. A strong suspicion..its going to get a lot more ugly,before the ‘rotten deck of cards’, all start to burn…and come crashing down.
If “youth league” means “youth”, I could sympathise with their ideals. They could be refreshingly new in their late tens or early twenties.
The ANCYL is nothing of that.
send them all back to their sandbox to play
“The reign of Virtue shall begin when the last politician is strangled with the entrails of the last priest. Or so ’twas said many reigns of Virtue ago.”
George Will (US Columnist)
Malema equally believes that the ANC exists and remains in power directly as a result of his interventions! I am not sure who is more dangerous – an ineffective, secretive, devious, manipulative President who owes favours to all in sundry and particularly Malema, or Malema who has a priority “red line” directly to JZ any time he pleases. So who is really in charge in RSA – we don’t actually know what JZ honestly thinks or feels about anything at all – he doesn’t dare to openly show his hand on any issue – well perhaps to one person! So no, our real leader is not JZ – It doesn’t take a brain surgeon really – could it be the most dangerous man in RSA!
Getting voted into any presidency is usually the beginning of the end. It’s what you make of a presidency that gets you a second term. Which is why Mandela’s crowd paid such close attention to their public images and their PR consultants. JM should ask Obama what it’s all about. I’m told by Americans that he’ll not make a second term either. Might he also blame such a loss on a third force? Or just on too much force and a health bill?
The likelihood is that someone is trying to nail Malema, and that someone is, almost certainly, the SACP — which is the same force trying to nail Vavi, as if you didn’t know.
The reason is not ideological (except insofar as the SACP wants to cover up its own ideological bankruptcy by pointing fingers in all directions) but is largely because both Malema and Vavi have criticised figures within the SACP (Cronin and Nyanda, respectively), which the august Party cannot tolerate.
It is a little ironic for Malema to call for a halt to such behaviour when he’s hardly been above it himself. However, nobody should celebrate the ANC’s decline into mutual in-fighting, because apart from the distraction from the business of government, the increasing focus on private interest tends to open the way towards authoritarianism. Meaning that the more people ignore values and ideology and concentrate on money and power, the more likely they are to become intolerant and tyrannical.
It would, in short, be better if someone listened to Malema (and others) and stopped the merry-go-round before it spins to destruction. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anyone in charge capable of taking such decisions.
Has there ever been as weak and ineffective a leader in Africa as Jacob Zuma? If so, how long did he (forget that, how long did that country) last?
Being perpetually drunk on power – eminating from millions in tenders made Malema very reckless and arrogant – this peaked with his tirade against the bloody agent from the isle. He then entered another more injurious realm of arrogance when he chose to challenge the big man himself & the worker sector of the alliance (quite similar to a well-known biblical story!)…wasnt he just like Hitler trying for world domination via fighting on numerous fronts?
Malema made one big mistake – the breitling watch – this was tactfully and brilliantly used by antagonists & the media to hammer the point home that indeed he was merely a tenderpreneur claiming to represent the poor. Perhaps he should have studied the unassuming lives of the Chicago dons who evaded the media and retribution via being suttle and seemingly humble…Malema punted himself too heavily and, now the guilotine is gonna fall! Too late to be tjatjarag now my dear “small boy” you time is over and perhaps you can now enter the real world where you work for your money…
Juju is crying on the wrong shoulder; both he and Zuma are yesterday’s men.
I just think Julius is having some trouble recognising the wet fish called Democracy because it’s coming at his face really fast in slap mode.
In the spirit of the World Cup, and to use a topical metaphor, the recent spat – between Vavi Versus can be summarised thus:
Vavi (+Cosatu + SACP) 1 – 0 ANC (+Malema + ANCYL)
(Malema, OG, 1)
great article Traps!
er, at the risk of sounding like a victim, are we not concerned at what lengths he might be willing to go to in order to retain his top spot?
It’s interesting how Malema’s recent flailings have distracted attention from his ill-gotten gains. In a macabre and forensic sort of way it’s also interesting how SA is degenerating into a failed state with ramapant corruption and the splitting of the ruling party into self interested factions. It’s also interesting to see that now dictator or strong man has emerged, yet. What does the future hold?
It has been blissful without Juju’s ill-considered and embarassing tirades being broadcast every day. 3rd force or not, I hope we continue to see less of him.
South Africa is an interesting, exciting and yes, scary place to live in but at least we have politicians who actually serve up a dose of humour making material almost every day. A lion backed into a corner is still a lion and a killer.
karney! Do you have inside track information? If only what you say is true – it seems that way, but we all thought JZ was yesterdays man as he was going to trial – but no, unfortunately he had all the right friends in all the right places and look what happened there. We live in hope!
@Gail
What ‘lion’?
Marxism sux,Karney,please dont say that Malema’s day are numbered….the DA needs him.
…ps. Make that Zuma, too.