Jacob Zuma must be a troubled man. I doubt if the man enjoys any peaceful sleep in the midst of public, racial hatred displayed by the Rainbow Nation of South Africa. His presidency faces a huge challenge not even comparable to the xenophobic outbreak that ensued in the country not long ago. This time it’s not South Africans against foreigners but rather, it’s the natives amongst themselves. The dark era of racism has resurfaced in South Africa. At a time when Zuma thought he could now take a sigh of relief since his rape and corruption cases are now water under the bridge, surely Eugene Terre’Blanche ‘s death has been a rude awakening for Msholozi.
The daggers are unsheathed. The zebra (black and white) community is reaching out for each other’s throat. Racial tension in South Africa has reached dizzy heights. Zuma’s predicament is not helped by the stubbornness displayed by his terrible bunch comprising ANC National Youth League President Julius Malema, Minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana, Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane. The three are reported to have defied a court order and chanted Struggle song Dubul’ iBuntu (shoot the Boer) on Tuesday 6 April in Mamelodi, barely five days after Afriforum had succeeded in obtaining an interdict in the Pretoria High Court barring Julius Malema from singing the song.
The terrible death of right-winger and white supremacist Eugene Terre’Blanche appears to have resurrected the skeletons of apartheid which Nelson Mandela and F.W de Klerk buried as far back as 1994.I have always wondered why President Zuma seemed reluctant or hesitant to restrain Malema because his utterances and public spats with the media and the white community have always showed signs of a time bomb waiting to explode.
I may be wrong but I’m inclined to suspect Zuma is, for lack of a proper word, scared of Malema. Why else would Zuma keep quite when it has always been in the clear Malema was eroding the integrity of the ANC and undermining the racial harmony that has been fought and won by South Africans. Does Zuma feel indebted to Malema for his fierce campaign that toppled Thabo Mbeki and crowned Zuma? Is Zuma scared that with Malema’s popularity, rubbing him the wrong way could compromise his stay in the presidency? Does Julius Malema know something about Zuma that many people are not aware of? Many questions or suspicions are bound to arise as to why Zuma handles JuJu baby with kid gloves. Or perhaps Zuma knows, afterall, he is the one who started the whole thing when he asked to be given his machine gun through his signature song ulethu u’mshini wami? I mean, Zuma asked for his machine gun and then Malema implored that the Boers must be killed. Perhaps Malema took Zuma’s request for the machine gun to mean that the gun must be used to kill the white farmers.
I’m one of the people who came to Malema’s defense when he was accused for inciting those two urchins to kill Terre’Blanche just couldn’t figure any link between the song and the murder. Why did I have such reservations? Well, I thought it would take a silly buffoon to follow what Malema says or sings. I then thought to myself, if Malema is silly and reckless in his comments or songs, how many, Malema’s roam the streets of South Africa. It was only after I answered myself that I realized indeed Malema’s comments and songs have the potential to incite violence and racial tension and hatred in South Africa.
A fool who listens to Malema’s foolish remarks may find them palatable and worth pursuing. Come to think of it, I had just given Malema credit for the way he responded to the death of Terre’Blanche when he was interviewed in Zimbabwe. He gave a very good and appropriate answer, “I’m in Zimbabwe so I don’t know what you’re talking about”. I had hoped Malema would continue to give that answer even when he got to South Africa. But no, to him making a sensible comment is tantamount to showing cowardice. It is awfully wrong for Malema to scratch apartheid wounds that had almost healed. The problem that I see in Malema is, to him racism exists only when practiced or meted out by whites. If Malema had stayed a little longer at school, he probably would know that what he is doing is categorized as racism just as well.
By showing hatred towards the White race, Malema qualifies as a racist. Look, Terre’Blanche was said to be racist. Should then Malema emulate him? Malema holds a very powerful and influential position in the ANC. What does this say about ANC and their quest for zero tolerance on racism? The ANC may choose to brush it aside but Malema is the face and mouth of the ANC. what he says and does in public is reflective of the ANC’s position on any issue or idea more so that most of the time he makes this silly remarks while performing party duties.
I may sound contradictive here when I say I have always liked Malema for speaking his mind. Infact I still respect him on that front but Malema has to know it is one thing to speak your mind and the other to expose your dunderheadedness in public. The Boers were clear about their hatred towards blacks during the apartheid era but when the likes of nelson Mandela took over from the Boer, they did not call for revenge. They did not ask the blacks to make the whites feel the pain of slavery.
Rather they implored both races to get forgive their past and embrace each other. Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission was meant to bring some form of closure and indeed reconciliation between the whites and blacks of South Africa. Now it is so sickening to see a young boy who really never suffered from apartheid trying so hard to dismantle the peace jigsaw put together by people who still have scars to show from the apartheid persecution.
I hear Jacob Zuma has finally called Malema to order but I say too little too late. The harm has already been done. Jacob Zuma should not just try to calm the situation but should be seen to be seriously shielding the winds of racism that have wreaked havoc in South Africa. Julius Malema should also know that he is not only pissing off the white community in South Africa. There are some elements within his party who are not happy with his (mis)behavior. For now he might be worried that the whites are out to eliminate him but he should tread with care because the elimination may come from within his ranks. The president may be scared to bring him to order and this might irk some ANC members who feel he is bringing the party into disrepute. So to Malema I say, your rise may as well signal your fall. I’m a liberal just like Julius Malema. He might read this piece and choose not to engage but insult me. I would be happy because this piece is meant for Malema. Should he decide to insult me, which part of my body will he call out that he doesn’t have? We’re both young and restless guys speaking and at times singing our minds.
