Julius Malema - Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)

[Robbie_P]

Hi guys,

Has anyone else been reading about Julius Malema's new political party called the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)?

I'm not sure how people living in South African are taking to this, but is this just his usual "talking" or could this new party actually get a decent amount of votes to rule South Africa?

Interested to your your thoughts.

Cheers,

Robbie

[HansaPlease]

I think it's pretty scary. People make fun of Julius because he's a nutjob, but they say things like "Ag please man, this chop can't even pass wood-work, how is he going to run a political party".

The reality is- look how much exposure he's getting and look at how much support he has. Whether or not his party authorised the anti-white banners inciting violence or not, the fact that these things are being uttered by his party members is a huge worry.

To be honest, I can understand the appeal of being jn his party. Be honest with yourself and put yourself in a young black person's shoes - if you can't get a job, can't get ahead, are constantly told that it's the white man's fault, that the white man has all the goods that should rightfully be yours and there is an organisation of Comrades that will help you get some of that action - would you join?

I certainly would.

I'm not saying it's right, or that they're not completely mis-guided, just that I understand the appeal.

The existence of this party should be ringing massive alarm bells.

Also, to add... I don't think they would get enough votes to rule South Africa, the part that worries me more is that the party members get impatient with the rate at which the promised riches are being delivered to them and they start taking matters into their own hands...

[Robbie_P]

i could be wrong here.. but only a minority of the ANC voters are significantly better off (financially). I am pretty sure the majority of the ANC supporters who are not financially better off or a large number of the youth could be swayed?

I guess the real test would be the next election to see how the new party is actually doing.

[HansaPlease]

i could be wrong here.. but only a minority of the ANC voters are significantly better off (financially). I am pretty sure the majority of the ANC supporters who are not financially better off or a large number of the youth could be swayed?

Probably right that a majority of ANC voters are still not better off but I guess that alone isn't reason enough to switch allegiances to the EFF.

They would also have to be:

-sick of the ANC

-not scared to leave the ANC (many are)

- not blindly loyal to the ANC for traditional or family reasons

-delusional enough to believe that land grabs and nationalisation are sustainable

- partial to Malema and the EFFs policies

-not partial to another party such as the DA

I would think that there wouldn't be that many that would answer yes to all... I hope!

[benp]

Local analyst seem to think they might get up to 10-15% of the vote.

Last election COPE got 7% right off the bat, so it is not inconceivable that EFF might get 5-6%.

There is a group of voters with whom EFF message resonates, but any votes for EFF will come at cost to ANC and COPE, so perhaps it is not such a bad thing after all, and I doubt DA will loose a single vote to EFF.

Max Du Preez wrote interesting article on IOL about his predictions, not that I agree, but interesting point of view never the less.

http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/politics-will-be-healthier-come-2019-1.1592471

[JuliaClaire]

No one seems to be too concerned here. People tend to fob him off as full of nonsense.

My gut tells me to run ... as far away as possible!!!

Whether or not he is a fat joke in a red beret; he is giving voice to what millions of desperate, and disillusioned people feel.

'The moment maketh the man' . He has arrived at the right time and he is not going anywhere. I think the movement will grow.

Johnny Steinberg has written some excellent articles on Malema which is great food for thought.

I don't know how to copy the link here but one can just google johnny steinberg and Malema.

[zetman]

Hi there,

I've often in the past said Malema is, in my view, the single biggest threat to South Africa. People write him off as a joke, but he knows how to work the desperate masses and he's bounced back from every attempt to stop him thus far.

The thing is his agenda is so radical that you don't need to win an election to achieve it. All you need to do is create enough hate, polarisation and ideology to create enough fuel, light the spark and you trigger an irreversible chain of events. Another Zim or Syria (i did some light reading on Syria and was a bit shocked at some potential similarities to the current RSA politics and govermental environment to what was going on in Syria just before that turned into an all out war).

I think he's treading very dangerous ground,it makes me very happy to be in Aus and maks me really concerned for my family back there.

And PS i'm not one to wish anything bad on RSA and certainly not one to think any good can come from it decending into civil unrest. I just genuinely fear Malema can trigger a chain of events not even he can control and undo. And that would play directly into his hand. Drop the country into turmoil, make it unmanageable and let your cadres feast on the spoils to take whatver they want whilst the country burns.

Just my 2c

Z

[Izzy]

Hi it is a big worry. I think he is very dangerous and has been under estimated. I just want to sell our house before its too late and leave.

Waiting for the visa is awful.As soon as the visa is confimed we can put our house up for sale and arrange our lives.Roll on 2014.

[monsta]

Hi it is a big worry. I think he is very dangerous and has been under estimated. I just want to sell our house before its too late and leave.

Well, if African politics has showed something its, money talks. Julius will be a threat as long as he helps money flow to the right people. Add to that, its really expensive to campaign in all the remote townships. Paying off the chief is just one expense..

We just don't know what kind of money Julius has. But I would bet if he had it, he would be good at keeping his friends in R20 000 Rolexs.

[MarkSalter]

Waiting for Visa is killing, as soon as it comes through I will leave 7 days later. I am all ready to rock and roll. They can have this country. I am just worried about the friends and family I leave behind. Incitement to violence against whites is the card they are playing and are getting away with it.

[magman]

I think Malema will definitely get in.

Think about the poor, majority of the SA population, they are being promised land and riches, they don't understand politics and only see what they are promised. The ANC has not delivered, so the poor will definitely vote for EFF. There is also the race divide that Malema is pushing, think of it like the black poor wanting what the rich white's have. I believe Malema is being sponsored and trained by Mugabe, they use the same propaganda agenda. Malema is definitely another Mugabe.

It may help the DA though, as I believe it will split the ANC vote.

It is almost making me panic for our visa's to come through.

[MarkSalter]

Not to be all doom and gloom but as the DA make strides to gain more votes, the other parties will keep pushing the divide and with incitement to violence, I can only see the situation getting worse and/or major civil unrest.

Malema is definitely being sponsored and trained by someone. It would not surprise me if this is Mugabe or some other evil power hungry madman.

[AlBrough]

He is far too charismatic and out spoken which seems to makes him very popular, particularly with youth.

[BriD]

I feel terribly unsettled about Malema. He is very dangerous. He is starting to convince desperate people to step over the line. .. and he does not need to win an election to really cause a problem in this country. There is like an invisible line of decent behaviour and expectation. .. and Malema preaches a definite crossing of that line. Once that line is gone there is no telling what will happen

[Shanelw]

When he first came to the political scene, he was seen as a joke, well by a lot of people who weren't supporters of the ANC youth league. I would think it unwise to underestimate him. The one thing, and I am referring to his career as a politician, was that he took hold the issues of the poor and unrepresented. He took hold of the issues facing poor uneducated young black people promising them the sun and moon but not telling them they will still not see any of it once he gets grip of more power.

Let's face it he is a joke but a dangerous joker. He is knowingly starting to whip people up into a killing frenzy. One issue that might explain what I'm trying to say is the whole Marikana debacle. These people were also whipped up into a killing frenzy where they actually believed that mutie provided to them would protect them against R5's. No one in their right mind would do that. And that is the problem.

One of the ANC's biggest strategies was to keep the people uneducated. An uneducated person can't think for himself and will then blindly follow what they are told to. The problem however is one where this has now turned against them where one individual is speaking to their hearts and needs(not really caring to provide to these but merely seeking self enrichment), and is getting all the attention.

Last year Malema was beaten by a nose or should I say a horn, by the Rhino as news maker of the year. They are giving him to much airtime. Hear a lie long enough and you'll start believing it.

Pre WW2 germany was seen as one of the most liberal european countries in the world, and along came this short man, not attractive not from a fortunate family, or a celebrity, but he did one thing he spoke, and he spoke to the hearts of the people who started to implement what he believed.

I don't want to get carried away, I don't see WW3 starting in RSA, but I wouldn't feel comfortable as long as that guy is getting free media coverage. I am really concerned for my family members who we are leaving behind.

Let's hope we are all a bit paranoid...at least for the sake of our remaining loved ones.

[AlBrough]

This seems to ring some bells... Heil Julius...

[gordo.hogan]

Guys, I honestly believe we are in big trouble. If you look at the pictures of the banners he had at his rally, the ones that he was "not happy about" You can clearly see that those banners were professionally made. Now do you mean to tell me that the poor residents would go through all that trouble of making a professional banner with EFF logos on it?

Truth is, EFF made those banners themselves, and they are planning on forcing us out. I have no problem with leaving, and I would leave today if I could. Maybe if I send him an email, he will sponsor me the money I need to get my visa. Not a bad idea I think LOL!

But on a serious note, I believe that whoever can leave, should leave now before its too late.

[patrice]

Agree - huge cause for some serious concern, especially give that I was already rather worried about Zuma (note our move started very soon after Zuma came into power)

Malema seems to be following in Mugabe's foot steps, albeit along some what more radical and agressive lines. SA's Robin Hood, aka, take from the rich and give to the poor. Regardless of the rights or wrongs, or even the realism of promises - this populist strategy always works in a 'democracy' where the 'majority' are poor, and who do not comprehend that the consequences are likely to be severe ala 'kill the goose that lays the golden egg'. Generally, when one has nothing to loose, the perception will be that there can be no consequences. The best way to unite people is to create a common enemy, as in the so called rich whites who stole our land.

This is why he is able to gather support, which is growing and at the end of the day the majority will rule. Being 'labled' as the enemy always invokes the need for revenge. I may be out of touch, but to me, based on my limited reading of news, my perception of this is that revenge seems to have already manifested in the way crime has changed. Previously there were many break-in robery's, but these seem to have escalated in that this still happens, but seems like they now don't only rob you, but also kill the man and rape the women.

A very dangereous situation indeed !

[ace]

In no way am I comparing the two but personally I don't see the diiffrence in mindset between malema supporters and supporters of red october. Malema supporters only belive black people must have the right to anything in the country and red october supporters believe only whites should be protected from crime. Both those mindssets are comppletely wrong.

[McCabes]

I agree I also think people underestimate his influence. I can clearly remember asking a range of people at work before the elections that saw Zuma made president - what they thought would happen and NO one there fully believed Zuma would be made president... to me, if people were in complete denial about Zuma, it doesn't bode well about Malema.

I also see the parallels with Hitler. Economic conditions, social unrest... preclusions to things going badly.

This is the kind of stuff that makes me voluntarily become an ostrich. Until we've been on the LSd, there is nothing I can do to get us out of all this. I am scared... and that's enough for me. But I'm part of a bundle and the whole bundle needs to be in agreement.

So. Here's praying for the best... while expecting the worst and hoping we'll still manage to get out.

[Guest May]

In my books what Malema and Hitler have in common is the gift of the gab. The one thing I remember well from learning history in school was that Hitler was an orator or public speaker. The people are tired of the ANC and will listen to Malema twist words to brainwash them.

[RCJames]

Malemma is a big concern for me. The man is broke yet he got the monies to start a party, how did he do that?

Help get my family and myself out PLEASE!!

[Eyebrow]

They said over the radio last week that Malema has more Twitter followers than Zuma or Zille.... Something like 360 000 + followers!

[HansaPlease]

They said over the radio last week that Malema has more Twitter followers than Zuma or Zille.... Something like 360 000 + followers!

I don't do Twitter, but if I did, I would "follow" him just so I could tweet abuse at him!

There may be a lot of those in those numbers...

[McCabes]

Hansa I really hope that is the case! Otherwise this really doesn't bode well for the upcoming elections.