Zuma reshuffle eclipse Malema’s march
ANC Youth League president Julius Malema. Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu ANC Youth League president Julius Malema. Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu
If Julius Malema hoped to produce political fireworks with his marches this week, he was overshadowed by his nemesis, Jacob Zuma, as the president showed, with a bang, that he is far from being a lame duck.
While Malema’s marches were subdued, the president was anything but this week, firing ministers and suspending police chief Bheki Cele as well as announcing a judicial probe into the arms deal.
In so doing, he sent a message to Malema and to any potential opponents that he will not roll over and play dead politically and that next year’s watershed ANC conference in Mangaung could make the Polokwane conference look like a tea party.
Even though Zuma was out of the country at the time of the marches, he and the ANC leadership stopped the protesters from holding an overnight vigil at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. And the minister who accepted Malema’s protest document was Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, the most junior in the cabinet in terms of experience.
The marches attracted fewer people than many expected, mainly because it was clear the ANC hierarchy had sent out a clear message to the party faithful to avoid Malema’s economic freedom protests in Joburg and Pretoria on Thursday and on Friday.
The ANC Youth League complained earlier in the week that bus companies who were to transport supporters had withdrawn at the last minute under pressure from the mother body.
Estimates put the number of marchers at around 5 000, although Malema claimed there were 25 000.
The protest was altogether a lower key affair than the street demonstrations and violence in the Joburg CBD which characterised the beginning of Malema’s ANC disciplinary hearing. Malema himself went out of his way to keep participants calm.
He also stressed that the action was not a challenge to Zuma: “We are not fighting government, we want more. We want job creation to be doubled.” That, however, didn’t stop a number of supporters showing exactly where their feelings lay.
Some sang “Kgalema’s my president”, referring to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.
Given the lack of numbers, several ANC members on Friday said the marches did not occupy as much space as they might have.
Political analyst Daniel Silke said: “The 5 000 people in the march is not particularly significant when the unions on any one day can get double those numbers relatively easily.”