There are some people who falsely think that my analysis on Julius Malema and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is ultra-critical and antagonistic. For the record, I don’t possess any antagonistic attitude towards the EFF and its boss Malema. I’m the only analyst who wrote about Juju’s towering greatness and oratorical skills.
Malema’s only powerful weakness is his lack of intellectual calculus. He is not capable of calculating the future implications of his political actions and decisions. His political thinking is largely dominated by a mixture of populism, demagogy and hypocrisy.
He prefers to partake in activities that create media publicity for his own benefit. Strategic long-term thinking is not part of Malema’s modus operandi. He places a higher premium on short-term gains and quick-fix solutions.
Three months ago Juju went to Nkandla to hand over a new house for a poor family which stays next to President Jacob Zuma’s homestead. When he arrived there, Juju was pelted with stones and bottles by supporters of the ANC in Nkandla.
As anticipated, the media reported massively on that story. What motivated Malema to build a house for someone who stays next to Zuma? Some people think Juju built that house out of his goodwill and generosity. I don’t think his actions were motivated by any sense of goodwill or generosity. Malema is excessively obsessed with Zuma’s political downfall.
Juju and his loyalists blame Zuma for his eventual expulsion from the ANC. He also accuses Zuma of being the mastermind behind his personal and financial troubles.
Malema chose to build that house in Nkandla just to publicly embarrass Zuma. Juju’s ulterior intention was to project Zuma as an uncaring, selfish and thoughtless president. Malema’s toxic obsession with Zuma’s downfall is extremely unhealthy.
The EFF manifesto also pledges to root out corruption and tender fraud in government. Interestingly, Malema is currently facing criminal charges of corruption, fraud and money-laundering in court.
When Juju was still president of the ANC Youth League, he never built any house for any poor family. He stays in Seshego where there are some residents who live in dilapidated houses. Did he ever consider building decent houses for those families? There are people who live in horrible conditions in shacks in Disteneng next to Seshego. Has Malema ever thought of helping those people to acquire houses? There is an age-old expression that says: Charity begins at home.
The supreme commander of the EFF, Julius Malema is an exceptionally gifted populist. He likes sayings things that people want to hear. Juju is a kind of a populist who does not believe in empirical realism and pragmatism.
His political strategies are based on wishful thinking and utopian idealism. He prefers “frozen dogmatism” over scientific evidentiary. His call for nationalization of the country’s mines is informed and fuelled by frozen dogmatism.
Frozen dogmatism is a belief that the changing times and circumstances do not have any impact on an idea. He believes that the Freedom Charter principles of 1955 must be implemented to address today’s problems. The socio-economic challenges of the 1950s are not similar to the current material conditions and circumstances.
Last month Malema launched the EFF’s election manifesto which was marked by ultra-radical promises. The EFF manifesto indicates that all working citizens would earn over R4000 a month.
The manifesto also promises to expropriate all mines and banks and place them under state control. The EFF also reassured citizens that their (EFF) government will eliminate poverty and unemployment.
The EFF manifesto is unrealizable at best and impractical at worst. Probably, Malema and the EFF did not undertake any feasibility study before drafting their manifesto. They falsely assume that nationalization will solve all the socio-economic challenges in the country. Nationalization will paralyze the country’s mining, banking and manufacturing sectors. The EFF does not possess any expertise and technical intelligence to manage mines and banks.
The EFF manifesto also pledges to root out corruption and tender fraud in government. Interestingly, Malema is currently facing criminal charges of corruption, fraud and money-laundering in court.
Juju is the last person who should speak about eradication of corruption in government. He benefitted immensely from Government’s multi-million rand tenders between 2009 and 2011. The EFF manifesto is nothing more than a wishful list of grocery items. The EFF’s promises are not in sync with the country’s financial capacity.
There are many similarities between the EFF policies and the policies of PAC, AZAPO and SOPA. Because of that, supporters of AZAPO, PAC and SOPA are more likely to vote for the EFF in the coming General Elections. It is very unlikely that the ANC can lose any significant support to the EFF.
The ANC’s election manifesto and policies are structurally different from that of the EFF. Malema’s EFF will definitely amass less than 6% of the national vote in the General Elections.
People who think the EFF will win the General Elections are just daydreaming. The PAC, AZAPO and AGANG are expected to perform dismally poor in the upcoming Elections.
Elvis Masoga is an independent political analyst.
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– By COMMENT: Elvis Masoga
