Topic: Zimbabwe
SADC Summit: Zuma panders to Mugabe, undermines rule of law
The DA statement on the SADC summit and Zuma acting like Mugabe
Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Alliance
I have today written to President Jacob Zuma to request an explanation for the ANC government’s silence on the Zimbabwean government’s flouting of a 2008 SADC Tribunal ruling, which declared that country’s disastrous policy of land reform as unlawful.
President Zuma’s glowing report on the Zimbabwean negotiations process, presented yesterday to the SADC Summit in Windhoek, failed to address the considerable obstacles blocking the path to the establishment of a democratic dispensation in that country. Most notably, the President’s muted approach to Zimbabwe’s brazen contempt for the Tribunal’s ruling has further undermined the legitimacy of the highly-respected SADC Tribunal -- and that of SADC itself.
The South African government’s silence on this matter is as concerning as the Zimbabwean government’s clear disregard for the rule of law. That the Tribunal’s ruling impacts the rights of the many South Africans who live, work and invest in the Zimbabwean farming community- and the economy in general- raises further questions about the ANC government’s decision not to comment publically on this matter.
The Zuma administration’s evasive approach to the Zimbabwean political situation continues to raise serious concerns about its political motivations for implicitly condoning President Robert Mugabe’s continually undemocratic behaviour. In refusing to condemn the Mugabe administration’s contempt for the rights of those South Africans in Zimbabwe affected by the Tribunal’s ruling - rights which should also be protected by the newly ratified South Africa-Zimbabwe Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA)- the ANC government has placed its political affiliations above the rights of its own citizens.
That the ANC administration has resorted to court action to keep the contents of various reports into the Zimbabwean political situation out of the public domain is a powerful indicator of the government’s determination to keep South Africans in the dark about the scale of Zimbabwe’s plight. The report compiled by Judges Dikgang Moseneke and Sisi Khampepe detailing their conclusions about the fairness of Zimbabwe's 2002 presidential election, and the infamous Generals’ Report commissioned by former President Mbeki, are two such examples.
President Zuma’s “smoke and mirrors” approach to Zimbabwe has allowed President Mugabe’s despotic tendencies to flourish and the rights of South African citizens in Zimbabwe to be repeatedly and systematically abused.
This deserves a full explanation.
Google Earth updated beaches
Google just updated and released some high resolution images of beaches around the world. The high resolution aerial images are mainly in Florida but the High Resolution Satellite Images of the beaches are updated globally, some even in South Africa.
That means there is some exploring to do with the new imagery.
According to Google here is a list of updated beaches with new high quality Google Earth imagery.
High Resolution Aerial Updates:
USA: Chicago, Stockton, Modesto, Nez Perce (ID), Barre (VT), Orange County (NC), Polk County (FL), Hardee County (FL), Okeechobee County (FL)
Uruguay: Salinas, Atlantida
Countries receiving High Resolution Satellite Updates:
Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Madagascar, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, The Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand
You can see all the updates on Google Earth in the update file released by Google
Afriforum will fight for media freedom
The human rights watchdog Afriforum said they will fight for media freedom even if it means they have to drag the case to the Constitutional court. According to Afriforum the media tribunal clashes directly with Article 16 of the South African constitution that guarantees media freedom.
Kallie Kriel the head of Afriforum warned that the ANC's attempts to stop media freedom has serious implications for South Africa. This will cause South Africa to go downhill into destruction.
According to Kriel the tragedy that plays off in Zimbabwe started exactly like it does in South Africa with media freedom. He said that all citizens must now stand together and show that South Africa not just another Zimbabwe but a country where citizens protect basic freedoms like media freedom.
The civil rights initiative AfriForum has undertaken to fight in court for media freedom, even if it were to mean that this fight has to be taken to the level of the Constitutional Court. According to AfriForum, the ANC’s proposed Media Appeals Tribunal and the passing of the Protection of Information Bill, will be in direct contravention of Article 16 of the South African Constitution, which guarantees media freedom. AfriForum has also undertaken to discuss cooperation for the protection of media freedom with other civil institutions.
Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, warned that the ANC’s efforts to curtail media freedom, have left South Africa at a dangerous crossroad. Kriel states that a free media plays a crucial role in holding public representatives accountable. The restriction of this constitutional right will drop South Africa in a downhill spiral, ending in self-destruction.
According to Kriel, the tragedy which is currently happening in Zimbabwe, also started with the restriction of media freedom. “Therefore civil society has to join forces to make it clear that South Africa not just is yet another Zimbabwe, but in fact is a country where the civil society jealously guards basic freedoms, such as the freedom of the media,” Kriel said.
Kriel expressed the hope that the ANC will urgently reconsider its onslaught against the media, but also emphasised that AfriForum is prepared to appoint the country’s top legal experts to fight for media freedom in the country, if the ANC were to continue plans to restrict the media.
Robert Mugabe coming to the World Cup finals, FIFA to roll out red carpet
According to Afriforum, Robert Mugabe is heading to the World Cup finals and FIFA as well as the South African government will roll out the red carpet for the dicatator of Zimbabwe.
Afriforum sent a letter to the SA government and to FIFA's local organising committee pleading with them to not let the dicatator Robert Mugabe attend the FIFA World Cup Final.
Not only is Mugabe heading to the World Cup but 14 of his "heads of state" will also be dining in luxury.
According to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, it is a bitter irony that the South African Government and FIFA are prepared to roll out a red carpet for Mugabe during the World Cup final, while, based on his continued human rights violations in Zimbabwe, Mugabe rather deserves a red card.
The South African Government’s decision to welcome Mugabe, in Kriel’s opinion is especially offensive, seen in the light of the fact that South Africans farming in Zimbabwe are currently subject to a renewed onslaught of the Mugabe regime. Kriel emphasised the shrill contrast between the fact that the South African Government did not even respond to the urgent written appeals for help of most South African farmers in Zimbabwe this past month, while the same government is now jumping to attention to welcome the very man responsible for the human rights violations being committed against these South Africans. “The South African Government apparently has now turned its back on its own citizens living in Zimbabwe, therefore AfriForum’s legal team will continue with its preparations to call the government to account in court in this regard,” Kriel added.
The fact that FIFA allows this is "strange" according to Kriel of Afriforum because the same company (FIFA) did their "not to racism" thing a few days ago right here in South Africa and to roll out the red carpet for a propagator of racial hatred is a slap in the face.
“FIFA’s action is a slap in the face of all who are suffering at the hands of the Mugabe regime – both white and black,”
Xenophobia in Sports? Beast removed from team
Has xenophobia reached the rugby field? Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira is born in Harare, Zimbabwe he is also a Springbok who represent South Africa on the Rugby field. What is making him so unique is, that it almost seems as if the department of Sport and Recreation wants to use him as a example for illegal immigrants 'stealing' South Africans opportunities. Here is a direct quote of something the ministry said in it's statement:
While Tendai is a live wire on the field of play, the question is whether it is, in the first place, justifiable to say he has scarce skills – the rationale that would have enabled him to obtain the current work permit. If we go the route our rugby administrators are requesting us to take, and facilitate the fast-tracking of Tendai’s citizenship, what would this say to all rugby players in our country? We cannot as a government department responsible for sport and recreation in this country, afford to insult our players like this,
What that statement is implying is that it would be a insult to help Tendai with his citizenship just because he is a rugby player, to other capable players in South Africa. They first want to ascertain he is bringing in a skill that cannot be filled by a South African. This is not just about race any more, now it's about where you where born. If Tendai was not trying to become a South African and if he did not contribute to society like the other million or so Zimbabweans here illegally, this would make sense. This sounds more like a insecure nationality that feels threatened by anyone achieving more than they have.
So far in South Africa's rugby history there have been numerous foreign born members on the team. Even a couple of captains the most notable of the lot is Bobby Skinstad, he was born in Zimbabwe back then known as Rhodesia. Even though he is not what you would typically call Zimbabwean but that is where he comes from.
Rugby players from Zimbabwe:
- Adrian Garvey ‘Turbo Prop’ ; Born Bulowayo Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 1986 ; 28 test 1990’
- Andy MacDonald ; Born Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 1960’ ; 5 test
- Ben-Piet van Zyl ; Born Gweru (Gwelo) Zimbabwe 1935
- Bobby Skinstad (Robert Brian Skinstad) ; Born in Bulawayo 1976 Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) ; 42 times, scoring 55 points (11 tries) was also captain of the Springbok team.
- Brian Mujati ; Born Bulawayo Zimbabwe 1984 ; Still playing from 2008
- Chris Rogers ; Born Masvingo (Fort Victoria) 1956 ; 4 test as hooker
- David Smith ; Born Bulawayo Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) 1957
- Gary Teichmann ; Born Zimbabwean 1967 ; 42 test, 6 tries, captain of Springboks shirt number eight.
- Ian Robertson ; Born Zimbabwe 1950 ; 5 test
- Tonderai Chavhanga ; Born 1983 Mavingo in Zimbabwe ; Fastest ruby player in South African Rugby history, could run 100meters in 10.27 seconds.
That is ten players that we know of all from Zimbabwe. Two out of the lot was captains, there have been 'foreigners' representing South Africa from the start of South African Rugby, which was brought here by 'foreigners'. It is just going to far to want to punish one player for lack of performance of black South Africans. If they did better there would be more of them in the team and the ministry would not being having such a big issue with Beast who is a excellent player.
It is understandable that the government wants only South Africans to play but if a person wants to become a South African and is only stuck in red tape, why should he not? The ministry made is sound as if the South African Rugby Union (SARU) was committing a crime to ask for a speed up on Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira passport.
The principle here is clear: Only citizens of our country can play for our National team, irrespective of the sport code. Therefore, no foreign national can play for any of our national teams, no matter how outstanding they may be. If any player in any code is to become a South African citizen, this has to be done within the legal framework of our country
By the time he might ever get his passport Tendai would be past his prime and South Africa would have lost a good player.
ANCYL: Is There a Hidden Agenda?
This article was sent to us by a Fromtheold.com reader.
I am not white, nor am I black, and I have close friends across all racial groups, so this is not a racist attack. I am not affiliated to any political party, so I have no motive for power. I am secured in who I am, so I don’t need the attention.
My concern though is for my friends and family whom I care about and I want people to be aware of what is going in our country and where it’s potentially headed.
Military Service
The proposed military service for unemployed youth, by the minister of defense, has been applauded and welcomed by many. Furthermore, the ANCYL will also be receiving military training in September. Personally, I think we should be alarmed by these developments! Why? Well, here are some questions to consider:
Why do we need an army if no immediate threat of war exists?
Is it really about job creation or is it a guise for a greater scheme, seeing that this will not generate income but rather increase expenditure, which is more likely to be funded by an already burdened taxpayer?
Why do we want to arm a wing of the ANC, who clearly has no regard for the law or the country’s president?
Why do you want to arm a youth leader with military skills, who clearly and publicly declares his hatred toward white people and goes unpunished?
Why is the ANCYL so set on nationalization?
And why were the charges dropped against the ANCYL president?
And let’s not be fooled by the claims that the military training is open to everyone. The fact remains…the ANCYL will be getting training! And why the push for the nationalization of mines? Does the ANCYL need funding for some hidden agenda? Just a thought!
I would like to direct your attention to Zimbabwe’s “green bombers” army, which is also known as the “National Youth Service” or “Youth Brigade.” Here are some interesting facts and info:
Its stated purpose is to "transform and empower youths for nation building through life skills training and leadership development.” The National Youth Service has been condemned in the West and in Africa for gross human rights violations on behalf of the ZANU-PF party
While it proposes to unite people above party lines, it also promotes wariness of "foreign influence and intervention" in national politics. The opposing view, both inside Zimbabwe and abroad, holds that the service indoctrinates its members with absolute loyalty to ZANU-PF and trains them for military operations to enforce its dominance. The government plans to make the program mandatory for all youths.
Does any of this sound familiar?!!!!
The Zim Visit
Even more alarming is the recent visit of the ANCYL president to Zimbabwe for meetings with senior members of Zanu-PF…and the purpose for his visit? To learn more about Zimbabwe’s "revolutionary empowerment programmes", aka – nationalisation, a system that coincidentally destroyed their country’s economy! At this point it would be good to ask the question “why does he want to learn a program that has clearly failed the country, its economy and its people?”
Possible Recall of Zuma?
It is also a known fact that the ANCYL president has caused division within the ranks of the ANC. This division carries the very real possibility of the president being recalled, as was done to our former president (what goes around, comes around). And what would be the grounds for such a move? His failure to lead effectively and decisively, corruption and failed service delivery, facts well publicized by the media and noted by the ID and the DA.
The one thing the president did get right was to publicly rebuke the ANCYL leader, but in doing so, the power of the ANCYL was revealed. It is clear that they have become a law unto themselves and that they are untouchable. Anyone who apposes them runs the risk of being ostracized and stripped of support, including the president. Noticed the recent "one boyfriend, one girlfriend" campaign within the ANCYL? The question therefore arises…”Is the ANCYL president; along with other ANC party members, plotting the overthrow of the current rule?” That could very well explain the charges being dropped against him by the “selected” disciplinary committee overseeing his hearing…and let’s not forget those who refused to be a part of the committee. Oh how the puppet has become the puppeteer!
The Birth of the Ugly baby
Our democracy was forged through the sacrifice of life and was suppose to be our key to freedom, yet I am concerned that under the current leadership it has become the rule of the corrupt greed mongers, who has manipulated our democracy and the constitution for their own self-interests, at the expense of our country’s honest citizens. They have turned our democracy into a laughing stock BUT time will tell how this nation will respond and I cannot see those who are suffering putting up with this for much longer. The government has impregnated our country with fraud, corruption, lawlessness, manipulation and deceit, and soon we will give birth to something truly ugly. It is only a question of time!
Zimbabwe: 700,000 forcibly evicted still ignored five years on
The government of Zimbabwe must take action to protect hundreds of thousands of people left to survive in substandard settlements five years after a program of mass forced evictions, Amnesty International Zimbabwe and a coalition of partners said today.
The government of Zimbabwe must take action to protect hundreds of thousands of people left to survive in substandard settlements five years after a program of mass forced evictions, Amnesty International Zimbabwe and a coalition of partners said today.
Amnesty International and the Coalition Against Forced Evictions are calling on the government to provide adequate alternative accommodation or compensation to those left homeless and jobless.
“It is a scandal that five years on, victims are left to survive in plastic shacks without basic essential services. The needs of these victims are at risk of being forgotten because their voices are consistently ignored,” said Amnesty International Zimbabwe’s director Cousin Zilala.
On 18 May 2005 the government of Zimbabwe began demolishing informal settlements across the country. The program, known as Operation Murambatsvina, affected more than 700,000 people – leaving them without a home or livelihood or both. Most were driven deeper into poverty by the forced evictions, a situation which has been further compounded by Zimbabwe’s economic crisis.
Following widespread local and international condemnation of Operation Murambatsvina, the government embarked on a re-housing programme, known as Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle later in 2005, which aimed to provide shelter for the victims and improve their living conditions. However, it was a dismal failure and now appears to have been abandoned.
“The few houses that were built under the Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle scheme are completely un-inhabitable,” said Cousin Zilala. “They have no floors, windows, water or toilets. Communities living in designated resettlement areas are dependent on humanitarian assistance and self help initiatives for their survival.”
Those affected by Operation Murambatsvina rapidly became invisible; forced to relocate to rural areas, absorbed into existing overcrowded urban housing or pushed into government designated settlements. Those still in cities remain at risk of further forced evictions with no security of tenure. In 2009, Harare council attempted to remove some of the victims of the 2005 forced evictions but was forced to reverse the decision amid protest from housing and human rights organisations.
Since its creation in February 2009, the unity government has done nothing to improve the plight of survivors of the forced evictions and their children who have been born in informal settlements.
Felistas Chinyuku is also the former chairperson of the Porta Farm Residents Association. Porta Farm, a settlement of about 10,000 people, was destroyed by the government in 2005, despite the community obtaining several court orders barring the authorities from carrying out evictions.
“Five years have passed and many of us are still living in tents,” said Chinyuku a resident at Hopley Farm, on the outskirts of Harare, where the majority of residents survive in make-shift housing.
“There are no schools, no health services and very little sanitation. This is no way for humans to live.”
Residents of Hatcliffe Extension settlement in Harare faced similar injustice in 2005 when the authorities wilfully disregarded lease agreements and destroyed their homes. They have not been compensated for their wrongful eviction and continue to face battles with the authorities; residents are currently being asked to pay prohibitive fees in order to renew their leases.
"Operation Murambatsvina achieved the opposite of the publicly stated objective - restoring order. In Harare, it resulted in overcrowding in poor neighbourhoods with as many as three families sharing a four-roomed house," said Lorraine Mupasiri of Combined Harare Residents Association, one of the coalition partners. "We are particularly concerned about the rising housing backlog in Harare. More than half a million people are on the waiting list.
The forced evictions drove people not only from their homes, but also from their market stalls, depriving informal traders of their means of earning a living.
Women have been especially affected since they form the majority of informal market traders and in many cases are the primary providers, not only for their own children but also for other children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.
When informal traders have tried to resuscitate their trade they have been persistently obstructed by the authorities.
“The deplorable living conditions and struggle for survival which victims of Operation Murambatsvina continue to face, reveals the government’s failure to address ongoing injustices against some of the most vulnerable members of Zimbabwean society,” said Cousin Zilala.
Notes to editors:
• This press release is issued by Amnesty International Zimbabwe, Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Operation Murumbatsvina Survivor Representatives from Hopley Farm, Hatcliffe Extension and Gunhill informal settlement, Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Association (ZCIEA) and Zimbabwe Human Rights Lawyers Association (ZLHR)
• On May 17 coalition representatives will meet/met with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to hand over a petition by Operation Murambatsvina victims and their supporters.
• Amnesty International has also released photographs of life at Hatcliffe Extension and Hopley Farm, two settlements on the outskirts of Harare that were set up by government for some of the victims under Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle. The photos are embargoed until 00.01GMT 18 May and can be downloaded from here: https://adam.amnesty.org/asset
• For the 2005 report Zimbabwe: Quantifying destruction - satellite images of forced evictions, featuring satellite images of forced evictions go to:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/libr
PRE01/158/2010
Tuesday 18 May 2010
National Union of Mineworkers sings the "kill the boer"
Pretoria, South Africa - The National Union of Mineworkers sang the "kill the boer" or "shoot the boer" song at the housing indaba on Thursday. Government officials joined in the singing. The song that caused countrywide anger and that was banned by the court because it is inciting hatred amongst people.
Many believe that song caused the death of Eugene Terreblanche when he was murdered by two black youths. Julius Malema also insisted on singing the "kill the boer" song in Zimbabwe whereupon he also angered many.
International organizations believe that the ANC is using the white population as a scape goat for not delivering upon their promises and rather enriching themselves.
Earthquakes, War, Crime, Collapse, Terrorists threatens World Cup
Cape Town, South Africa - In the last few days there were numerous articles in foreign newspapers claiming that South Africa was on the verge of war and total chaos.
War
While that might of been true for a moment it is not true anymore. South Africa could very well see a civil war in the future but not at the moment. Some newspapers in the UK even claimed that there are machete wielding gangs running around in South Africa. Well, while that might also be true it does not mean they are country wide.
At the moment the only machete gang running down a road is SAMWU. So the war part can wait a few weeks because there will most probably be no war before the great kick off. On the 1st of May the AWB will hold a meeting and decide if they would retaliate the murder of their leader, Eugene Terreblanche who was also a farmer.
The world is waking up to the genocide of South African farmers and the people called the Boers. Silently they are being attacked from every side and the death of the leader is about to cause of uproar because they are fed up being murdered out. Polarization was caused by the constant singing of "kill the boer", a song that people now hear in their houses when they are being attacked.
Earthquakes
As for earthquakes, there are thousands of cities and towns in the world that never experienced earthquakes before, some of these lie on fault lines. However it does not mean there will never be a earthquake because there is no fault lines.
The biggest earthquakes that happened in the Cape the last 100 years was the 6.3 magnitude that hit the Southern parts of Cederberg on September 29 1969, then there was the 5.3 magnitude earthquake also close to the Southern part of Cederberg which happened on October 5 1969. The smaller ones are a 5.5 magnitude also at the Southern parts of Cederberg as well as more smaller ones in that area ranging between 1 and 5 magnitude.
On April 14 1970 a big earthquake destroyed buildings in Tulbagh, damage that could still be seen today. The threat of a earthquake hitting within the soccer month is not likely, if at all predictable. It could happen but not in Cape Town itself but in the Cape.
We can rule out earthquakes as a threat to the soccer, mostly.
Terrorists
The terrorist threat is big, not as big as a point where we will come to but big enough to focus on. The border between Zimbabwe and South Africa is open, you can look for the border but you might just miss it. There are no barriers and Africa is flooding into South Africa. Anyone from Africa can go to Zimbabwe and from thereon be smuggled into South Africa, that includes nuclear weapons or weapons of any kind.
There's just no border even though authorities claim that there is a protected border. Whether or not terrorists will use the border to bring their destruction to South Africa during the world cup, we can't really say but citizens of South Africa knows what it feels like when houses get robbed by people flooding from Zimbabwe or when they are being raped and killed by people saying "Sorry we are from Zimbabwe". Especially up North, if they can get over the border that easily so can anyone else.
Collapse
People fear South Africa might be the next Zimbabwe, while that might also be true it certainly wont happen before the 2010 world cup. There is a rule of urban survival, that we are all 9 meals away from anarchy. Luckily for South Africa we don't see that happening in the near future. At least not in the next 90 days.
Crime.
Crime is the single biggest threat to the 2010 soccer world cup. While the stadiums will most likely be protected, the tourists can not. Pretoria is under siege and criminals won't look at your passport before shooting you when you least expect it. In the safest malls, gangs of armed robbers threaten and sometimes take the lives of innocent shoppers. Even in protected security complexes the security guards are most likely to be the threat.
Crime is the biggest threat to the 2010 world cup by far. Crime in South Africa is so unpredictable and that is also what brings the fear with it, that anyone can be attacked anywhere. There is no place that is safe because the crimes are so random. There are no "safe areas" in South Africa and for the citizens of the country that now is disarmed, because of new laws, this causes lots of stress.
For instance, yesterday a man called Willie Pienaar stopped to buy some drinks and buns before heading off to home. He was shot dead right outside the shopping centre.
He was climbing in his car at a shopping centre in Kwaggasrand in Pretoria when a man grabbed him by the neck and shot him in the head whereafter they took his wallet and tried to take his car, his life meant nothing to the killers. They were caught by angry residents but the fact is crime is unpredictable in South Africa. Criminals don't check who is a tourist or not.
Therefore crime is the biggest threat to the 2010 Soccer world cup in South Africa and not earthquakes, terrorists, war or collapse. These are issues but they will most likely not affect the 2010 Soccer world cup.
DA: Malema has made it quite clear: he is South Africa's Mugabe
Every time Julius Malema opens his mouth, he does damage to our prospects of attracting foreign investment, developing our economy, and addressing inequality and poverty.
He needs to be told to keep quiet, because he’s costing us money and jobs.
Anyone who may have had any sympathy for Malema in the past needs to read his comments today very carefully. Because what he is effectively saying to the South African people is: ‘I want to ruin any hope this country has of addressing poverty and building a prosperous democratic nation for all.’ He is saying: ‘Like Mugabe, I want all the power, and I want you to sacrifice your own livelihoods to give me that power.’
His praise for ZANU-PF land invasions, his assault on the Movement for Democratic Change, his assault on our own Constitution and the fact that he threw a journalist out of his press conference for asking perfectly legitimate questions, demonstrates with painstaking clarity that he shares the same deeply flawed and manifestly dangerous characteristics as Robert Mugabe.
For Malema to advertise to the world that his agenda is the same as Mugabe’s ought to tell South Africans everything they need to know about him, the ANC Youth League, and the ANC. Any notion that Mugabe has done anything other than systematically ruin Zimbabwe’s economy, and throw thousands upon thousands of his countrymen into poverty, would be simply insane. Yet the ANC puts up with Malema, backtrack every time there is any hint that he might be censured, and seem content with him portraying the ANC’s vision for South Africa as one guided by a tyrannical dictator.
Malema’s hysterical, conspiracy theory-laden attack on the BBC is painfully reminiscent of the frequent claims by Mugabe that he is the victim of ‘malicious propaganda by external forces’. His actions, in throwing the journalist out of the press conference, are no different to Mugabe’s censorship of the press in Zimbabwe, and his banning of outlets like the BBC from reporting there. Those actions, together with his claims that the Zimbabwean land reform model needs to be followed, show Malema is determined to become a despotic dictator, and ordinary South Africans must take an unequivocal stand now, and not let that happen.
There is one final point worth making, and it is both significant and alarming: in undertaking a visit to Mugabe, in being embraced by him, in championing his policies and behaviour and in returning to South Africa to do the same, it is now perfectly clear that Julius Malema has been given free rein to operate in a political vacuum. He can do as he wants, when he wants and no one in the ANC has the courage or presence to oppose him. It is an indictment of the ruling party, that rampant demagoguery has become a substitute for democratic principles and practice, and that a party once defined by great leadership is now forced to watch as a militant, arrogant and undemocratic youth splash about in the shallow end of the pool.