Malema stirs the pot in Zim
Image by: ELIZABETH SEJAKE
Fired ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has directed another stinging attack at President Jacob Zuma - this time telling a Zimbabwe newspaper Zuma does not like President Mugabe and is not fit to be the mediator in that country's global political agreement.
"I don't think President Zuma is a neutral facilitator in the Zimbabwe problems.
"He has very strong views about President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF. All you see is very pretentious, not helpful at all," Malema was quoted as saying by the weekly Sunday Mail. Yesterday the Presidency dismissed Malema's claim.
Malema struck a chord with Zanu-PF supporters for his support of Mugabe's party when he visited Zimbabwe in 2010. But his published remarks lambasting the Movement for Democratic Change, Zanu-PF's partner in the fragile coalition government, got him into trouble with the ANC and later formed the basis of some of the charges against him during his first disciplinary hearing.
Since then Malema has reportedly been communicating with Zimbabwe's Indigenisation Minister, Savior Kasukuwere, whom he referred to as a close friend in the Sunday Mail interview.
Some political analysts in Zimbabwe have cautioned against his comments being taken seriously, lest they affect relations between the countries - even though he has been expelled by the ANC.
Zuma, the SADC-appointed mediator on Zimbabwe, has stood firm on the need for that country's political parties to implement a number of agreed political and other reforms as a precursor to free and fair elections - sometimes incurring the wrath of Zanu-PF heavyweights in the process.
"Malema is being used by some elements from Zanu-PF to discredit President Zuma.
"His statement should be understood on that level, otherwise it could spoil relations between Harare and Johannesburg," said Dr Ibbo Mandaza, a political commentator.
Presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj said Malema's statement was being ignored. "It has no bearing in helping Zimbabwe arrive at an election which produces a credible result - and a government supported through that electoral process," Maharaj said.
In recent months Zuma and his facilitation team have been on the receiving end of hate speech by Zanu-PF hardliners who feel his stance on polls is working to the advantage of the MDC.
Professor Jonathan Moyo, a powerful Zanu-PF figure, has even called for the SADC to recall Zuma from the Zimbabwean mission.
He also insulted the facilitation team, headed by Lindiwe Zulu, Zuma's foreign policy adviser.
Zulu said Malema's views would not affect her team's work.



SHARE YOUR OPINION
If you have an opinion you would like to share on this article, please send us an e-mail to the Times LIVE iLIVE team. In the mean time, click here to view the Times LIVE iLIVE section.SuiGeneris
Posted 358 days agoHe holds no government or anc or ancyl position !!!
Stirrer
But he is a useful idiot, available for short-term gains before being summarily ejected. Like helping to get a flawed president elected (Zuma), or helping a flawed president to remain in office (Mugabe)!
rahima
Timbuck9
Posted 358 days agoHe is hoping for another run in December..... then the GRAVY MIGHT GET THICKER!!!!
RSA.MommaCyndi
Posted 358 days agombongwa_mugabe
Explain to me what do you mean when you said Malema and his 'imperialist tenancies' are nothing but an embarrassment to the country. Who is embarrassed by the truth?
Back to the topic mr Malema[the future president] is correct zuma is not solution to zimbabwe problem but obstacle to development of indigenous zimbabweans. The zimbabweans should just carry on without mediator if the mediator is zuma, only zimbabweans has solution to their problem not the outsiders amen.
RSA.MommaCyndi
How goes it with my favourite alien?
You recon that it is good for any country (or individual) to dictate what political direction a neighbouring country should follow? That is called imperialism.
mbongwa_mugabe
RSA.MommaCyndi
Zim has got to the point where it cannot sort itself out without help. Short of a full scale civil war, the only solution to their problems is a mediation process.
Wiseguy
If Zimbo's leaders were honest and fair to their "desire" to uplift/empower the "indigenous people" of Zim they would allow true democracy to prevail with its associated freedoms.
mbongwa_mugabe
..
You make me laugh here, you forget to mention that we are feeding him and multiple wifes and millions children.
mbongwa_mugabe
loyalty to the chief..
..
I like your thinking it's good for you not us africans. So what you saying african must show no respect for their kings and queen while whites are praying their queen Elizabeth. sies.
Wiseguy
Secondly, true democracy and its associated freedoms prevail in Britain (your reference to the Queen I assume means Britain), while the same can not be said for Zimbo land...unfortunately !!!
By example, at the Queen's recent jubilee, there was a protest of hundreds/thousands of people calling for a republic in Britain.....on the banks of the river while she was sailing down the Thames.
Now what would have happened in deepest tribal Zimbo land if the people held a protest for democracy on the Kings?chiefs Bday ?? I would think the people would be to scared of the consequances to do anything like that??? What do you think Bong?
BTW, I have no loyalty to any Queen/King or chief....I am and remain a humanitarian.
Wiseguy
As we all know, the issue of land ownership, has not been adequately resolved and is still on the table for most indigenous africans......part of this problem, and I believe a significant part are the Tribal system of land governance....where the tribe "owns" the land, but the king/chiefs/queens decide who lives where, how and why in a fairly autocratic/dictatorial fashion. The king/chief/queen can then, at a whim or for no particular reason decide/rule that Mr X must vacate his portion of land for Mr Y.......and they MUST OBEY! The laymen/peasants/man in the streets, individual right to land is very very tenuous and vulnerable! Any disloyalty to the King/Chief/Queen and he and his family will in all likelyhood have there land taken away.
So in the tribal areas of Africa there is no individual land ownership per se and individual rights are limited, in some areas severely !This is a reality that needs to be correctly fixed by democratisation of the tribal areas and instilling an individuals right to land ownership.....where nobody can take the land away from that individual/family on the basis on disloyalty.
Wiseguy
Wiseguy
Thuka-Thuka
Posted 358 days agoWiseguy
I suspect he has been in their employ for some time.....hence the ANCYL executive singing from Mugabes/ZANU-PF's hymm book !
ZANU-PF/Mugabe would like nothing more than to see RSA make the exact same stup1d mistakes they made in bad governance, not to mention the "kick-backs" for their corrupt leaders.... if the current ANCYL exec(including suspended members) ever came to real political power in this country!!
ProgressiveAfricanDemocrat
SoisSo
Posted 358 days agoBlack-Moses
Posted 358 days agomcritic
Posted 358 days agoThe first signs of his rebellion came in an attack on Khama and his proposal for removal of Khama. At the inauguration of the GNU government Mugabe chanted "Botswana OOOH - Botswana OOOH" repeatedly and it was evident that he hated Khama and would love to see him removed from power - especially after Khama provided protection for Tsvangirai when he fled Zimbabwe after the June 2008 bloodnbath. The enxt surprise was when Malema changed his tune resulting in repoeated praizing of Mbeki that was a hard Mugabe supporter all the time.
Unfortunately one thing Malema fail to understand is that more than 80% of Zimbabweans are jobless and millions are starving because of Mugabe and his policies. Number 1 in the list of policies is for Mugabe to remain in control and to fleece off everything. Mugabe today is one of the richest people in the World - whilst his people are of the poorest. Everything in Zimbabwe has collapsed - education, health care, agriculture, infrastructure - you name it and it is definitely worse than the case was in 1990.
The main problems started in 1997 - when it became evident that the population was getting tired of Mugabe and his looting cronies. When they lost the 2000 referendum, Mugabe panicked and started with his chaotic land program - also seeing an opportunity for further enrichment of himself and his cronies. They got 60% of the land taken over and the general population 40%. Every effort to do a land audit is resisted and land is beimng used to try and buy political support - but it is evident that agricutural production has plummeted and Zimbabweans now has to be fed through donations by the hated West.
Despite that Mugabe lost the 2002 election and every one since - but cooking of results became the norm. However - he was not prepared for the shcok in 2008 and thought it would work out for him if he could manage 40% of the vote - as the 15% crooked tally would acrry him through. Shock was he only got 27% and the five weeks delay in announcement of results was used to add 15%. If he got 40% the 15% would have carried him over the 50% plus 1 vote.
Why is Malema so enamoured with Mugabe? He sees opportunities for unlimited looting if Mugabe's policies are implemented in SA - and that remains the key. I would not credit anything said by him about Mugabe in any other way.
Francis
Francis
h t t p://w w w.justice.gov.za/legislation/bills/2012-b01tradcourts.pdf
emil.loffler1