By Mosa Cibi
Malema loves Africans. Just not those from South Africa. You’d think he is running to be president of Africa if there’s such a thing, which is why punching down on South Africans appears to be his strategy. It’s not uncommon for political figures to use any given platform at their disposal to bash the ruling party, that’s the nature of politics. However Malema’s politics and rhetoric are simply anti South African and that’s something sadly hard to ignore.
Let’s take for an example, his preposition that “all employers inclusive of farms, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, the hospitality businesses and the entire private sector must ensure that a minimum of 60% of their employees are South Africans.”
A minimum of 60%, why not 80% or even 100% in some case? There have been black progressives who have called for more, classic case being Hlaudi Motsoeneng whom Malema dubbed as a “Weskoppies Case” for advocating for 90% radio airplay quota for local artists.
Imagine this, a bread factory opens up in a community of about 100 local households. Under the EFF government a minimum of 60 families would have a source of income, while 40 South African households would go to bed starving.
EFF will tell you to use “superior logic” and hyperfocus on the wording “minimum” not maximum. Well, here’s a question for the EFF; when have you known business to do anything other than the bare minimum?
Malema over the weekend addressed an audience in Nigeria where he launched yet another full-on charm offensive at the expense of South of African artists, saying that “Nigerians in that entertainment industry are not competing with South Africa, they are competing with America. When you see a music video of a Nigerian, you’ll mistaken it for America”. He highlighted how Nigerians are moving, but the real kicker was when he said “they are moving, people are working on themselves.”
Does Malema not know that Nigeria stole Afrobeats from Ghana’s Afrobeat? Does Malema not know that Nigerians stole Amapiano from South Africa? You’re spitting in the face of local artists, but interestingly expect them to perform at your rallies?
Malema seems to have a natural allegiance with those who don’t believe in ethical practices, which makes one wonders, who actually funds the EFF? How about the self-confessed illicit cigarette smuggler, Adriano Mazzotti, the party’s alleged funder who smuggles illicit cigarettes from Zimbabwe to South Africa. Mazzotti and his tobacco company, Carnilinx, have been in the news in the past because of not only a R1m loan his business associate had made to Malema, but to the other monies donated to the ANC, which is indicative of how illicit tobacco trade in the rest of southern Africa occupies a prominent place in the southern region of the continent.
Are there more questionable funders that we’re not aware of? It’s no wonder the man who advocates for open borders has encouraged all undocumented foreigners from all over Africa to find creative ways of getting into South Africa. Keep in mind, crime stats show that there is an increasing number of violent and financial crimes being committed by undocumented foreigners who are not traceable after they’ve committed crimes.
Why would anyone encourage illegality to infiltrate South Africa further than it already has? Unless you hate South Africa and everyone born and lives in it.
