Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters
C.J. Bryant | The FAMUAN
Julius Malema, a member of the Parliament of South Africa and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, has plans for South Africa that are wrong steps in the right direction.
Malema preaches of healing the economy, restoring jobs, free education and better quality of living for South Africa. These are wonderful goals to seek.
While Malema’s overarching goals are noble, his attitude and approach to reaching them are ill-conceived.
Malema’s vociferous charm echoes that of Donald Trump’s character. Malema and Trump are two sides of the same radical coin.
Malema is a far-left marxist who seeks a socialist revolution in South Africa, and refers to his vision as one of a socialist state.
In South Africa, white South Africans still own most of the wealth in the country. Land makes up much of the resources. Malema thinks the government should own it.
The World Bank recognizes South Africa for its inflated income inequality.
Malema said successful socialism looks like Cuba and China.
Malema believes capitalism, the premier reason for America’s success, is the precursor for inequality. Capitalism was never meant to ensure equal outcome, but to ensure equal opportunity. Socialism and equal outcome come at the cost of choice and liberty.
If evolution could not guarantee every bird flight, how could anyone expect a government to create equal outcomes for all citizens? Socialism will break the backs of eagles for the penguins’ esteem. The whole time the penguins could swim.
Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest moral debaters of all time, and Cyril Ramaphosa, the fifth president of South Africa, was a brother in arms with Mandela during apartheid. While Ramaphosa has made his own legacy in politics whether good or bad, Malema gives no credence to Ramaphosa’s opinions nor Mandela’s resolutions.
In South Africa, the balance of wealth has created tension and violence as white farmers are being tortured and gruesomely murdered for their land.
Malema said, “We’re not calling for the slaughtering of white people…at least not for now.”
Malema also spoke in defense of land expropriation without compensation in his interview with Crossing the Line. His point was that because the land was seized during apartheid, any black people can remove white people from farms and homes and occupy them. Malema prophesied that unless the expropriation process is expedited, things will get ugly.
These actions would be reasonable if South Africa was a racial war zone, but it is a civilized developing country.
Crime, division, and government meddling in the pockets of citizens are all steps backward, or steps in place, for any African country. I believe Malema is a well-intentioned man with a lot of anger, and anger does no good in leading people. I believe that Julius Malema is the face of the paradigm of thought that will fling South Africa into a state of isolation.