A different view on current affairs & history
By a wide margin, the Abuser-in-Chief is Julius Malema. At every opportunity, he takes a swipe at white South Africans imputing nefarious agendas to various innocuous actions. Julius might be the most egregious offender, but, unfortunately, by no means the only one.
This abuse is not confined to a select clique but is more wide-spread than is presumed. Here are some examples of the application of this technique in use.
Main picture: Julius Malema & the Race Card
Julius professes to be South Africa’s premier corruption buster yet he is implicated in financial imbroglios with Brett Kebble whilst a member of the ANCYL. Julius pays homage to the poor at every turn yet he himself dresses in faux Gucci style Tuxedo at an EFF party in Sandton immediately after the Manifesto launch as if his forbearance in having to dress down with his beloved poor had to be erased. Malema bemoans fraudulent leadership votes yet he himself rose in the ANCYL using those tactics.
Main picture: Members of Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) (in red) clash with security officials after being ordered out of the chamber during President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address in Cape Town, February 12, 2015. The opening of South Africa’s parliament descended into chaos on Thursday as security officers fought with far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) lawmakers after they disrupted President Jacob Zuma’s speech.
The ANC has experienced breakaways and splits before. Historically the most significant was by the PAC in 1959. Of the most recent, Bantu Holimisa’s UDM was never going to be a threat to the ANC whereas Cope was potentially never a life threatening hazard but rather a less venal and self-serving version of the ANC itself. More ominously the EFF with its self-proclaimed populist radical policies are more lethal and hazardous not only to the ANC in particular but to SA in general. The dilemma for the ANC is whether to politically engage with them or totally ignore them. What is my prognosis for the EFF?
Main Picture: Julius Malema sings after addressing a group of soldiers in civilian dress at the Lenasia Recreation Centre Continue reading
No wonder Zuma was in such an ebullient mood when he was interviewed by the Press Club on Monday. He was apparently unperturbed by the prospect of the EFF attempting to disrupt his State of the Nation speech. Speculation was that either Zuma would pull the proverbial rabbit out of his hat during the speech or alternatively that the ANC had a trick up their sleeve as regards how they would handle any EFF disruption.
Main picture: The violent and forceful removal of the EFF members
Hardly likely! Given Julius Malema’s predilection for spectacle, theatre and outrageous comments this year’s SONA is likely to be accompanied by some form of ructions in Parliament. The ostensible intention will be to embarrass the ANC and Jacob Zuma in particular. With the TV cameras and the world’s media in attendance, what does the natural populist and showman that is Malema have up his sleeve?
Like most South Africans, in previous years I did not even listen or read about it. All that every year’s SONA appears to be is a series of platitudes and a plethora of promises all of which will not be actioned.
Most South Africans can readily recite their litany of examples of Malema’s uncouth behaviour or fraudulent actions. Amongst the one most quoted would be when he referred to Lindiwe Mazibuko as “Zilla’s tea lady.” Others might remember the incident where he cited Naledi Pandor diction as being un-African. In both these incidents, the recipient of his obnoxious comment was an intelligent, honest and respectable person not worthy of such opprobrium.
First we had young Julius, who had forgotten the good manners that his mother had taught him as a wee youth, profusely apologising to various people for his uncouth, slanderous & disparaging comments that he had made when he in charge of the ANCYL. He politely explained to Thabo “he with the pipe” Mbeki’s aged mother that he had been young and immature when he spoke those despicable and insensitive words.
A Personal View – April 2014
This affliction pervades all political parties contesting this crunch election, but the ANC more than most.
Firstly the ANC. What message is the ANC campaigning on? Its glorious past. By providing South Africa with an inclusive future not comprising disparate races, it has undoubtedly done South Africa a huge service. One can never detract from this momentous achievement but what does South Africa now have: crony capitalism, moral turpitude on a grand scale & ineffective government in most spheres?