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===Comments regarding opposition parties===
===Comments regarding opposition parties===
==== COPE ====
==== COPE ====
In January 2009, Malema accused new opposition party [[Congress of the People (South African political party)|COPE]] of wanting to "sell" the "country to British colonialists". Media reports noted that the remarks echoed similar sentiments expressed by [[Zimbabwe]]an president [[Robert Mugabe]].<ref>[[#Dispatch1|Daily Dispatch(1)]]</ref>
In January 2009, Malema accused new opposition party [[Congress of the People (South African political party)|COPE]] of wanting to "sell" the "country to British colonialists". Media reports noted that the remarks echoed similar sentiments expressed by [[Zimbabwe]]an president [[Robert Mugabe]]. Hands up, anyone who hasn't seen where THAT train leads?<ref>[[#Dispatch1|Daily Dispatch(1)]]</ref>


In late February 2009 he said that many members of COPE were returning to the ANC because they were "surprised by COPE's arrangement of leadership for hire", referring to COPE's presidential candidate, [[Mvume Dandala]]. Malema stated COPE had chosen Dandala since they could not find any "moral" leaders in their party; he accused Zille of using "old [[apartheid]] tactics" when the DA leader had threatened to go to the Constitutional Court to prevent Zuma from becoming president. He criticised her for attempting to deny voters a choice between Zuma and other candidates, stating she was afraid of facing Zuma at the polls: "Zille is afraid of JZ [Zuma] and she is using a coward approach [by threatening to go to the Constitutional Court]. This is old apartheid tactics. When we say that people like Zille represent...the apartheid system, colonisers and are backward, we mean this. When they can't defeat them [opponents], they must arrest them and lock them up".<ref>http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20090225055203181C856225</ref>
In late February 2009 he said that many members of COPE were returning to the ANC because they were "surprised by COPE's arrangement of leadership for hire", referring to COPE's presidential candidate, [[Mvume Dandala]]. Malema stated COPE had chosen Dandala since they could not find any "moral" leaders in their party; he accused Zille of using "old [[apartheid]] tactics" when the DA leader had threatened to go to the Constitutional Court to prevent Zuma from becoming president. He criticised her for attempting to deny voters a choice between Zuma and other candidates, stating she was afraid of facing Zuma at the polls: "Zille is afraid of JZ [Zuma] and she is using a coward approach [by threatening to go to the Constitutional Court]. This is old apartheid tactics. When we say that people like Zille represent...the apartheid system, colonisers and are backward, we mean this. When they can't defeat them [opponents], they must arrest them and lock them up".<ref>http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20090225055203181C856225</ref>

Revision as of 09:34, 26 October 2009

Julius Sello Malema (born 3 March 1981, in Seshego) is a South African politician, and the president of the African National Congress Youth League. He is best known for his controversial statements and speeches, and vociferous support for African National Congress president Jacob Zuma.

Early life and career

Malema, a Pedi, was raised by a single mother, a domestic worker[1] in Seshego township, Limpopo.[2] According to varying reports he joined the Masupatsela ("Trailblazers") pioneer movement of the African National Congress at age nine,[2] age ten[1] or age 14,[3] where, according to Malema, their main task was to remove National Party posters placed outside police stations.[4] Most reports agree that he was receiving military training by the age of 14, which is when he joined the ANC Youth League; according to Malema himself he was receiving training in the handling of firearms by age 13.[4]

Education

His school career was undistinguished and he failed two high school grades[1] as well as several subjects in his final secondary school examination. In fact, his marks were so low that they later attracted significant media attention. His highest mark attained at school was reported as a "C" for second language English and his lowest marks were published as an "H" (sub 25%) in maths and a "GG" (sub 20%) in woodwork, all in the standard grade.[5] The ANCYL dismissed the published marks as "fake", but declined to confirm what his "real" marks might have been. The South African Department of Education later confirmed the legitimacy of the much publicized results.[5][6] He said he won R1000 in a high school debating competition.[7] He eventually finished high school at age 21.[5]

Recent Personal Life

According to a popular Saturday newspaper[citation needed] Mr Malema currently resides in Sandown estate in Sandton, one of the plushest suburbs in South Africa, drives a black C350 Mercedes CDI worth R500 000 and has been rumoured to drive an Aston Martin and a Range Rover. He has recently again been the source of media scrutiny[citation needed] for having 14 traffic offences worth more than R5 000 to his name. Asked for a comment, he replied:

“Let me tell you my friend, I have defeated you and your apartheid regime and I'm going to defeat you again, once and for all!"

“All of you combined, you can't do anything. You are wasting your time."

“I am a child of heroes and heroines of the struggle. I am not a child of cowards and oppressors. I am not a child of an imperialist. I have defeated colonisers. I am going to defeat the children of colonisers.” [8]

Recent political career

Malema was elected as both chairman of the Youth League branch in Seshego and the regional chairman in 1995.[9] In 1997 he became the chairman of the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) for the Limpopo province, and was elected as the national president of that organisation in 2001.[9]

Malema was elected as the president of the ANC Youth League in April 2008, in a close race at a national conference held in Bloemfontein.[10] The election – and the conference – were characterised by what Malema himself later described as "unbecoming conduct".[11] Allegations of irregularities in the polling procedure saw the conference adjourned shortly after the election results were announced.[12] It was resumed only in late June, when Malema's election was officially accepted.[13]

He said he will go to parliament only when he is "a shiny polished diamond."[14]

He was "booted" out of Port Elizabeth's Dora Nginza Hospital after the head of the hospital spotted him and 20 other ANC members campaigning in the wards for the April 2009 election.[15]

Malema told students at Walter Sisulu University, in East London, that his role in making controversial statements was that of a decoy, to “distract” the opposition while Zuma “sprinted to the Union Buildings”.[16]

Depiction in mainstream media

Malema is known for his controversial statements and has become a frequent target for lampooning.

Popular Sunday Times satirical columnist Hogarth always calls him the "Jelly Tsotsi," after "Jelly Tots" sweets.[17] Hogarth often also refers to him as a "Mampara," or buffoon.[17]

Cartoonists Zapiro and Jeremy Nell frequently draw him dressed in diapers.[18][19]

In January 2009, a well known South African prank caller, Whackhead Simpson, aired a prank call that he recorded on Gauteng radio station, 94.7 Highveld Stereo. Whackhead used sound clips from various speeches of Barack Obama to hold a "conversation[2]" with Julius Malema. Afterwards, Julius Malema denied ever speaking to Barack Obama. He also said that he was unaware of any prank call.[20]

During the year, Malema was also portrayed in an advertisement [3] by Nandos.

Depiction in blogs and other online media

A quick search of Google blog search gives almost 19,000 hits of various articles written about Malema [21]. The vast majority of these are parody sites highlighting Malema's faux pas.

Controversial statements

Support for ANC leaders under criminal investigation

In 2003, as head of Cosas, Malema said in a statement that the student union would do anything, including "burning the prison she is locked in", to prevent the jailing of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.[22]

In June 2008, Malema made international headlines by vowing that the Youth League would take up arms if the prosecution of Jacob Zuma for alleged fraud and corruption continued. In an address to a Youth Day rally in Thaba Nchu, where Zuma was in attendance, Malema said, "Let us make it clear now: we are prepared to die for Zuma. Not only that, we are prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma."[23]

The remark drew widespread condemnation and complaints. The ANC partially distanced itself from the statement the following day,[24] former Archbishop Desmond Tutu called on Malema to apologise,[25] and complaints were laid with the South African Human Rights Commission by several opposition political parties, the General Council of the Bar of South Africa and individuals.[26]

The complaints were settled by an agreement between Malema and the Commission, facilitated by Madikizela-Mandela, that he would never use the word "kill" in a public statement again.[27] Official opposition party the Democratic Alliance said it would continue to insist that Malema be criminally prosecuted, for incitement to commit a crime, despite the agreement.[28]

The Democratic Alliance subsequently requested another Human Rights Commission investigation, saying Malema had failed to live up to the agreement. In a speech prepared for delivery at a funeral, Malema said, "We must also intensify the struggle to eliminate the remnants of counter-revolution, which include the DA and a loose coalition of those who want to use state power to block the ANC president's ascendancy to the highest office of the land."[29]

In February 2009, Malema stated the following regarding Zuma's corruption charges: "If he is so corrupt and he must be punished, let the voters do that [...]. Why do you want to subject him to the hands of the few, the judiciary, the judges and the media? Leave it to the voters, 23,000,000 must decide whether Zuma becomes president or not — not the judges".[30] He has also been quoted as declaring that, "If you arrest him, he will lead us from prison. We are not afraid to be led by a president in orange clothes."[31]

Remarks about Hermaphrodites

In his response to the Caster Semenya gender saga, he said of the International Association of Athletics Federations which has labelled Semenya a hermaphrodite: "Hermaphrodite, what is that? Somebody tell me, what is hermaphrodite in Pedi? There's no such thing, hermaphrodite, in Pedi. So don't impose your hermaphrodite concepts on us."[4]

Malema, himself of the Pedi tribe, was however corrected later by a Pedi language expert from Wits University who says that the Pedi word for hermaphrodite is "setabane".[5] He said that Athletics South Africa head Leonard Chuene, caught lying about Caster Semenya's gender tests, should have carried on lying.[32]

Remarks about women

In January 2009, he suggested to a group of Capetonian students that the woman who accused ANC president Jacob Zuma of rape had a "nice time" with him because in the morning she had "requested breakfast and taxi money".[33] Public and media reaction was severe, Cape Times columnist John Scott suggesting facetiously that Malema be elected to parliament: "Young Julius has views about females that should not just be restricted to university campuses and other platforms where women don't have the right of immediate reply."[34]

Of ritual circumcision, he indicated that this is not the purview of women since "women are not allowed to speak about it."[35]

Of marriage: “Beautiful girls are found in the ANC. If you want to get married, you must choose to get married in the ANC."[36]

Statements concerning ANC members

In February 2009, he was criticized by his own party when he mocked Education Minister Naledi Pandor for having what he termed "a fake American accent."[37] He subsequently apologised directly to her after being told to do so by the ANC.[38] He was surprised when his grandmother also called him to complain. Apparently it takes a huge group effort to teach the "Jelly Tsotsi" some manners.[39]

Statements About The University of Cape Town

He said to students at UCT, a university that was at the forefront of the anti-apartheid movement, that when Jacob Zuma comes to power, UCT lecturers and managers will be replaced since they are "counter-revolutionaries".[40]

Comments about whites

He indicated he wanted "apartheid agents" (whites) purged from administrative positions.[41] After his court appearance to face charges of hate speech brought up by the Sonke gender equality organization he said "The black faces you see in front. Those are not real faces, they represent the whites who are opposed to African leadership." [42]

Comments regarding opposition parties

COPE

In January 2009, Malema accused new opposition party COPE of wanting to "sell" the "country to British colonialists". Media reports noted that the remarks echoed similar sentiments expressed by Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. Hands up, anyone who hasn't seen where THAT train leads?[43]

In late February 2009 he said that many members of COPE were returning to the ANC because they were "surprised by COPE's arrangement of leadership for hire", referring to COPE's presidential candidate, Mvume Dandala. Malema stated COPE had chosen Dandala since they could not find any "moral" leaders in their party; he accused Zille of using "old apartheid tactics" when the DA leader had threatened to go to the Constitutional Court to prevent Zuma from becoming president. He criticised her for attempting to deny voters a choice between Zuma and other candidates, stating she was afraid of facing Zuma at the polls: "Zille is afraid of JZ [Zuma] and she is using a coward approach [by threatening to go to the Constitutional Court]. This is old apartheid tactics. When we say that people like Zille represent...the apartheid system, colonisers and are backward, we mean this. When they can't defeat them [opponents], they must arrest them and lock them up".[44]

Inkatha

In February 2009, he fired latent hostility between the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party by announcing that he would take the ruling party's 2009 election campaign not only to Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, but to the very backyard and house of IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, in a bid to convert his own children. The following day there was a firm response from the IFP Youth Brigade, challenging Malema to carry out his promise.[citation needed]

Later that night, Buthelezi himself put out a statement evincing his "extreme condemnation" of Malema's "derogatory" palaver, which was "contrary to the tenor in which we, as political opponents, contest elections in the spirit of our constitutional democracy".[45] Buthelezi also echoed the oft-conveyed thoughts of others about Malema's political nescience:

It is clear that Mr Malema, who is still at an age younger than the number of years I have served my country, does not understand the unspoken rules of politics."[45]

Malema's comments were later described as "unfortunate" by the ANC who said that they "affirmed their respect for Buthelezi".[46]

He later indicated he respected, but did not fear Buthelezi.[47] He considers Inkatha only a "Mickey Mouse," "cultural" organisation, not a political party.[48]

Democratic Alliance

He has called Helen Zille, the female DA leader, an "apartheid spy",[49] a "racist, colonialist and imperialist", and a "little racist girl", despite Helen Zille having had very strong involvement in the Black Sash and other anti-apartheid movements.[39]

He also said the role of her deputy and DA chairperson, Joe Seremane, was "to smile at the madam."[50]

“On their billboards, Helen Zille is in front and Joe Seremane is at the back, smiling at the Madam,” he said in March 2009.[36]

Helen Zille hit back by describing Malema as an "inkwenkwe", a derogatory Xhosa word referring to an uncircumcised boy.[51] Malema is, in fact, uncircumcised[51] despite circumcision being a rite of passage in Pedi culture as well. Zille later qualified her "inkwenkwe" remark by stating that she used it because Malema "was insulting Joe Seremane, who is older than him. An inkwenkwe can't insult an ixhego [an elder], and that is the context in which I referred to him as that." She described Malema as "rude and disgusting", saying, "I am sick of this rude boy. He must go get a proper job."[52]

On the Redi Direko radio talk show, he offered to debate Zille.[53]

He has called the DA Youth Wing "Zille's garden boys."

UDM

He said United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa was an "apartheid general".[54]

Opinions on the economy

Malema has opined on Jacob Zuma's understanding of the economy, saying that it amounted to "put a bread on the table (sic), we don't want sophistication".[55]

Zuma's education: Malema once said, "Educated or not educated, Zuma will be our President. You dont have to be educated to be a president". Reportedly the opinion was shared with MEC of education of Gauteng Province (currently president Of ANC Womens League)[citation needed]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c News24(1)
  2. ^ a b Sowetan(1)
  3. ^ Sowetan(2)
  4. ^ a b Sowetan(3)
  5. ^ a b c http://ewn.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=221
  6. ^ Independent Online(4)
  7. ^ Radio 702, 920am, 11 March 09
  8. ^ [1]
  9. ^ a b Mail & Guardian(1)
  10. ^ Mail & Guardian(2)
  11. ^ News24(2)
  12. ^ News24(3)
  13. ^ Independent Online(1)
  14. ^ Radio 702, 955am, 11 March 09
  15. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Top%20Stories&set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20090417050416902C582606
  16. ^ http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=983922
  17. ^ a b http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Insight/Article.aspx?id=934198
  18. ^ http://www.mg.co.za/zapiro/fullcartoon/2132
  19. ^ http://jeremynell.com/2009/07/mon-06-jul-09/
  20. ^ The Times(3)
  21. ^ Google blog search for Malema
  22. ^ Daily Dispatch
  23. ^ The Times(1)
  24. ^ Bloomberg
  25. ^ BBC
  26. ^ Independent Online(2)
  27. ^ Independent Online(3)
  28. ^ The Times(2)
  29. ^ Mail & Guardian(3)
  30. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20090225055203181C856225.
  31. ^ Bearak, Barry. "Waiting to Helm South Africa: President or Convict? Or Both?" The New York Times. 10 March 2009. (accessed April 22, 2009).
  32. ^ Chuene should have continued to lie: Malema Timeslive
  33. ^ http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fArticleId=4806906
  34. ^ Scott 2009.
  35. ^ http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-02-28-motoring-with-malemas-mouth
  36. ^ a b http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=953334
  37. ^ http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_2468462,00.html
  38. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20090212140108244C975684
  39. ^ a b http://multimedia.thetimes.co.za/audio/2009/03/malema-as-youve-never-heard-him-before/
  40. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Top%20Stories&set_id=1&click_id=3086&art_id=vn20090416051829977C552308
  41. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20090302053244157C513757
  42. ^ http://news.iafrica.com/sa/1792752.htm
  43. ^ Daily Dispatch(1)
  44. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20090225055203181C856225
  45. ^ a b Statement by Prince MG Buthelezi MP, Leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party
  46. ^ http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_2469061,00.html
  47. ^ Radio 702, 930am, 11 March 09
  48. ^ Radio 702, 945am, 11 March 09
  49. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3086&art_id=vn20090327110018563C751675
  50. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20090223120627221C451743
  51. ^ a b Du Plessis, Carien (2009-02-24). "'Malema is not circumcised'". internet online. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
  52. ^ Mbanjwa, Xolani (2009-02-25). "'Malema is rude and disgusting - Zille'". internet online. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  53. ^ 702, 915am, 11 March 09
  54. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3086&art_id=vn20090327054502661C139181
  55. ^ Harper, Paddy (2009-02-22). "'We want Zuma, corrupt or not'". The Times. Retrieved 2009-02-25.

References

  • "Leaders of the pack". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 11 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  • "Classic Malema". Classic Malema. Retrieved 12 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  • "CSA Sucks". Mike Smith. Retrieved 12 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  • "System shock". Systemshock. Retrieved 12 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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