Think Africa Press asked a group of South African experts what they think of Julius Malema, once described--by Winnie Mandela--as "the future President of South Africa." You can read the all the responses here. Here's one of them: Political economist (and former broadcaster) Hein Marias--he wrote the new book South Africa Pushed To The Limit: The Political Economy Of Change:
Julius Malema is neither an anomaly nor a flash-in-the-pan. Both lurid and “down-to-earth”, his populism draws on key themes of African nationalism, but blends them enigmatically into a politics that accommodates social conservatism, lumpen radicalism and grasping entitlement. Malema is a work-in-progress, and his politics - or more accurately, the political register in which he operates - constitutes a political experiment within the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
His prominence stems not simply from rank-and-file support in the ANC, but from the backing of powerful sections of the organization’s leadership. There are two, interlinked reasons for this. The ANC’s political and ethical moorings have grown doddery and indeterminate. It has a long tradition of functioning as a “broad church” of interests and political currents that orbit around a set of key, progressive principles and ideals. Over the past decade, though, those have grown increasingly fluid and indistinct, and the organization now functions much less as a coherent engine of change than as a zone in which motley, often conflicting, interests and ambitions can be pursued.
But that creates a major problem. How does a one-size-fits-all ANC then retain its political authority and build consent amid massive unemployment, widening inequality, and a palpable sense of unfairness? Such realities push ideology and political theatre to the fore. In South Africa’s context, they invite inventive use of the symbols of liberation and nationalism, and tempt rousing affirmations about identity and entitlement, including chauvinist ones. Malema is best understood in that light – as a kind of political prototype, which significant sections of the ANC believe might offer a rewarding way forward. Which is why Malema-the-politician might or might not survive, but his brand of politics will probably be around for a while.
