I am older than Julius Malema so don’t frown when I address him as a boy.
I was in South Africa the whole of last week attending the CNN/MultiChoice Africa Journalist awards (relax, I will prepare a full story on that one).
Being a sucker for current affairs, I read South African newspapers fresh from the printers, everyday.
Surprisingly, even though our shops sell South African newspapers, none of their shops, or at least the many that I visited, stock our local newspapers. Well, I’ve seen some local newspapers being sold in Zeerust and Mafikeng but really, to me, those two places are no different from Lobatse and Ramotswa. More often, I even forget they are part of South Africa. Anyway, that is none of my business, really.
Still fresh with memories of South Africa, I have decided to write about what I have been consuming from the South African media. By the way, on arrival back home yesterday, I bought all local newspapers that I had not read during my absence. Phew! A lot has been going on during my absence.
And so those murderers were sentenced to only 11 years in prison?
I see.
I also read of how Ministers Masisi and Skelemani warned Ntuane to forgo his dreams of hugging or even shaking hands with Mrs Obama. Through local media, I learn more security agents continue to be dragged before the courts of law for unlawful killings of suspects.
Khama has a headache as the clock ticks to signal the end of Army and Police Chiefs’ tenure at the helm of the two organizations.
Local newspapers suggest he is still confused about their replacements. Thanks to the local media, I’m catching up on what I missed out. The ruling party has lost four councilors to the opposition BMD. (Hey banna). I was also pleased to find that during my absence, my favourite local actor, John Mazabathi Mokhandla, has learnt how to write and send letters to the editors.
Cheers to my man, he makes me laugh whenever I watch him on television. Surprisingly, the guy has also managed to make me laugh through the appearance of his letter in newspapers.
As I read his scathing attack on opposition leaders, I would visualize him behind that computer and the thought of it left me in stitches. Just think about it, Mazabathi attacking Duma Boko, Botsalo Ntuane, Dumelang Saleshando and Gomolemo Motswaledi?
Wow!
A lot has indeed happened while I was away. However, I will spare local commentary for next. For now my focus is on South Africa.
Some of you might remember the much publicized Jacob Zuma rape case. At the time, the ANC Youth League President, Julius Malema, rallied behind and uttered all nonsense in support of Zuma. He would not even listen to anyone as he maintained Zuma was innocent.
In fact he never denied that Zuma had sex with his accuser. His line of defence was, Zuma had consensual sex with his accuser and that the accuser had a nice time going all the way with Zuma.
“When a woman didn’t enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning. Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money,” the outspoken Malema had told his supporters at the Cape Peninsula Technikon during a pre-election campaign in 2009.
Last week, a remorseful Malema issued an apology over his statement. He said he was sorry and committed not to repeat a similar mistake. We all know how pompous and arrogant Malema can be and as such, I believe, he deserves a pat on the back for finally showing some maturity and sensitivity. We have to acknowledge Malema ascended his top post at a relatively young age when wisdom could have easily eluded him. At the time of his stupid statement, Malema had just discovered himself. There we had a once hungry boy from the dusty Limpopo province who had just made it big in the glittering Gauteng. I, therefore, accept he was bound to lack in judgment. Such things happen to all of us.
What is important after all is for one to eventually grow up and retrospect. They say to err is human and I say it takes humanity to admit to an error. It takes a great person to go further and apologize for their errors. Even though there is a huge debate in South Africa over Malema’s apology, I still feel the guy deserves credit and commendation for his ‘shocking’ behavior. I know Malema was dragged to court over his insensitive and sexist statements.
His comments had infuriated the Sonke Gender Justice Network and they had taken him to the equality court where he was ordered to apologize, pay legal costs and R50 000 to a charity organization dealing with rape issues. Malema refused to take the court order lying down and immediately launched an appeal. Malema has now dropped his appeal and has decided to do the right thing:
apologize and pay. Some people in South Africa feel that Malema doesn’t deserve any credit for his apology as they feel he is only doing what the court had ordered him to do in the first place.
In fact, they say South Africans should thank their judicial system and not Malema. True, they have a point. However, the fact that even though he had the choice to appeal the court ruling, he decided to bring to an end the argument, speaks volumes about Juju boy’s maturity.
In fact when I heard that Malema had apologized for his distasteful remarks, I so wished the same wisdom could fall down on our leaders here, many who are old enough to be Malema’s grandfathers yet they still see no wisdom in an apology.
Believe me it is never too late to say you are sorry. The only time you can ever forget about offering an apology is when you are dead and I still don’t understand why Vice President Merafhe is allowing time to beat him before he apologizes for his insensitive remarks after the brutal killing of John Kalafatis by government security agents.
I would advise him to apologize while still alive because he might never get the chance in his next life, or rather first death. Why can’t President Khama apologize for his distasteful remarks over women? What are they waiting for?
Congratulations Julius, you are a true gentlemen. Only gentlemen who are not angry at life see the need for an apology. And only bitter people take to their graves grudges, arrogance and insensitivity.
