Thembile Ndabeni
Cape Town - Politically a shutdown means bringing the country to a standstill. Julius Malema said the EFF were going to do that.
It did not happen. The best way to prove that is what the media showed.
For example, nothing was at a standstill in the Western Cape. When Malema left the ANC, the situation was conducive because the party was blundering, and he raised genuine issues. Within a short space of time, he formed a political party that grew using ANC blunders as its stepladder.
But in Parliament the EFF always engages in violence and expects no retaliation. When action is taken against it, it cries foul. It is against that background that security was beefed up for its “shutdown”.
The EFF, through its leader Malema, said the country would come to a standstill. It also spoke about a revolution, saying it would go to Pretoria to remove President Cyril Ramaphosa by force. That is dictatorial because it did not get permission from most of the citizens of this country.
For Malema the removal of Ramaphosa is personal, not political.
He has a vendetta against Ramaphosa and the likes of Pravin Gordhan and Trevor Manuel. It is about Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who did not want to belong to UDF structures and abide by its rules, but operated like a loose cannon.
But still, he blames the likes of Ramaphosa. Labelling other people or tarnishing other parties’ reputations has become part of political parties’ strategy. But it depends how you do it.
If you exaggerate it you become cheap, and that is what Malema and his party have become. Lies and distortion are part of Malema’s and the EFF’s political make-up.
The way he speaks is rude, disrespectful and arrogant, and proves that he is a dictator.
Why does the EFF not have the support of the elders and other mature, reasonable people? Forget the PR stance. Some people agree with the EFF but disapprove of its approach and conduct.
The cherry on top is the smearing, distortion, lies and getting personal about opponents. Shouting, telling lies and fabricating stories about people makes you a clown. Malema presents himself as a super political being who knows everything.
EFF MPs break the rules of Parliament, beat people and vandalise property. In some circles they are referred to as anarchists. The worst is agitating for people to disrespect the law and referring to law enforcement officers as the enemy.
At the same time they say the police must protect them when they march. The worst was during the July uprising, when Malema said the army must arrest Ramaphosa.
During the “shutdown” he warned the dictators of Africa that their days were numbered, yet he promoted a dangerous path that leads to the creation of dictators. In preparation for making him a political demigod, those around him are forming a new and flawed political story that his education and contribution to the Struggle make him a revolutionary of the stature of Kenneth “KK” Kaunda or Julius “Mwalimu” Nyerere.
It would be good to explain to South Africa and perhaps to the world which Struggle credentials they are talking about. Malema was 9 years old when political organisations were unbanned, and the preparation for negotiations was starting. Historians must guard against this distortion of history.
This failed “shutdown” will never be recorded as successful. After the failure the EFF offered new excuses.
Fronting with women for breaking the law as they did in Parliament needs to be condemned. As they present themselves as champions of the struggle against gender-based violence they are putting these women in a vulnerable position.
The laws of the country are applicable to everyone; they are saying women can break the law.
Thomas Sankara once said: “A soldier without any political or ideological training is a potential criminal.”
Ndabeni is a former history tutor at UWC and a former teacher at Bulumko Senior Secondary School in Khayelitsha.
Cape Times