ANY REFLECTION ON SOUTH AFRICAN politics in the past five years which ignores the contribution of Julius Malema and the generation of economic freedom fighters he leads will be incomplete. In the past few years, most reflections that try to do so always miss the point, and rely heavily on distorted media reports and sound bites. It has meant that they inevitably arrive at the wrong conclusions on exactly the content and nature of the politics Julius Malema is in pursuit of, and thus fail to understand the struggle for economic freedom.
It is not always advisable to separate individuals from the struggles they lead, but as Lenin argued, “personal qualities of political figures – their theoretical preparation, skill, courage and determination can determine the outcome in a given situation. There are critical moments in human history when the quality of the leadership can be the decisive factor that tips the balance one way or another”. Furthermore, it is correct that “although individuals cannot determine the development of society by the force of the will alone, yet the role of the subjective factor is ultimately decisive in human history”. 1
We isolate Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema in this book, not because we believe in the cult of personality, nor in turning leaders of the revolution into demigods. We do so because it is important to understand the contribution Julius Malema has made in the struggle for economic freedom. And as is evident in the following chapters, Julius Malema does not exist in isolation; he is grounded in and organically connected to the struggles of the working class and the poor in South Africa. Even in instances where he holds tremendous organisational influence, he always seeks guidance from the people, and from the democratic processes of organisations within which he exists.
Many newspaper articles, opinion pieces, book chapters, books, theses, and dissertations have been written to reflect on the role played by Julius Malema and the generation of economic freedom fighters. In most of these and particularly in the liberal media, his role is dismissed, and he is portrayed as a controversial figure who will upset the economy of South Africa and drive white people into the sea. In specific developments, particularly Marikana, some commentators and writers would argue that all he was pursuing is a self-seeking agenda designed to boost his ego.
In 2011, Forbes magazine listed Julius Malema as one of the 10 most powerful young people in Africa and, amongst the 10, he was the youngest. The Economist magazine, which is a mouthpiece of global neoliberalism, said that “despite his famed ‘G’ – a dismally low grade for his woodwork exam in his school leaving matriculation, Mr Malema is no fool. He has proved himself a master at politics …” (The Economist, June 2011).
In 2013, the New African magazine listed Julius Malema as one of the 100 most influential Africans: “Julius Malema seems indestructible. After his expulsion from the ruling party … Malema is back as the Commander-in-Chief of a new political party: the Economic Freedom Fighters, which is founded on socialist ideals, fighting for equal distribution of wealth and enjoying grassroots support, especially among the youth” (New African, December 2013, Issue Number 534).
In the book Rethinking the South African Crisis, Gillian Hart (2013) argues that “much attention and public commentary has focused on the controversial and flamboyant figure of Malema, who was dismissed from the ANC in April 2012 and faces fraud, corruption and tax evasion charges. Yet there is uneasy recognition that the anger and alienation of large and growing numbers of young men and women rendered ‘surplus’ to the requirements of capital will continue to burgeon even if Malema disappears” (Hart, 2013: 4).
Analysing the tensions within the ANC in the book South Africa’s Suspended Revolution, Professor Adam Habib, the Vice-Chancellor of Wits University, correctly observes that “the expulsion of Julius Malema and the increasingly strained relations between the ANC Youth League and its parent body have further consolidated the image of a ruling party paralysed by internal fissures” (Habib, 2013). While this is a correct analysis and observation, it ignores the ideological character and side of the paralysis that define the ANC, and The Coming Revolution assists in providing this.
Almost all books written about political developments in South Africa since 2009 have had something to say about Julius Malema and the struggle for economic freedom. In most instances they were written without having clear information and understanding of the context. This book, The Coming Revolution: Julius Malema and the fight for economic freedom, brings an end to speculation and the baseless attacks that came from a position of ignorance. Like the Son of Man, we forgive them for they knew not what they were doing.
South Africa has not yet witnessed a thorough and proper reflection on the politics of Julius Malema and the struggle for economic freedom, mainly because of narrow class and racial prejudices. In this book we wish to set the record straight and to delve into the politics and developments around Julius Malema in a manner never done before. This is important to do because it will fly in the face of stereotypes, misinformed comment and lies that have been spread. This should be done because it will help to locate what he represents and why, and how the struggle of which he is at the forefront has attracted so much attention, both in South Africa and the world over.
This book will not be exhaustive nor will it be neutral, because neutrality does not exist in politics and class struggle. An attempt to be neutral is in itself not neutral because an absolute majority of the so-called neutral analyses are class-biased perspectives aimed at reinforcing misinterpretations and misinformation about individuals and the class struggle for economic freedom. Even authors who were granted access to the inner workings of the struggle for economic freedom in order to record the political and personal development of Julius Malema, failed to properly identify and understand the politics he upholds, and chose to write utter drivel, with no examination of the struggle of which he is in pursuit. This book aims to present the other side of the story.
More than anything, those of us who have worked with Julius Malema know that he is a revolutionary activist of principle and substance, and a leader who refuses to be swayed by trends that sweep through political movements. Those of us who have worked with him know that he is a leader who refused to back down on his principles, even when he knew that selfsame consistency would lose him friends and make him vulnerable to political persecution and rubbishing by reactionary elements. We know that Julius Malema is a reliable economic freedom fighter who will lead South Africa and inspire many struggles all over the African continent and the world, in the same way Lenin, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Thomas Sankara and Hugo Chavez did.
This book presents an opportunity for all South Africans, Africans and world citizens to understand the politics of Julius Malema, and, importantly, help them to understand the struggle for economic freedom. This book is the primary source of information relating to the EFF, material which has previously only been filtered through easy sound bites and bias.
The book is for all South Africans who wish to understand the nature and consider the future of South Africa. The book is for economic freedom fighters inside and outside the EFF, who wish to upgrade and improve their understanding of the struggle for economic freedom. The book is for revolutionary activists, organisers, volunteers, commissars, and fighters who carry the responsibility to fight for economic freedom. The book is for investors who seek certainty of policy and direction in respect of South African politics. The book is for students and teachers of politics, economics, sociology, history, and all subjects who seek to understand the future of South Africa. The book is for journalists and news editors who will report about the rise and rise of the EFF, and who continue to express shock over the emergence of this force.
With the publication of this book, it can no longer be claimed that the struggle for economic freedom is a mystery, and no one can claim that they do not understand Julius Malema, because here we present to the people of South Africa the clearest and most candid reflection of the Commander-in-Chief of Economic Freedom Fighters and the fight for economic freedom in South Africa.
Revolutionary regards,
Nyiko Floyd Shivambu
March 2014, Johannesburg