Juju features in documentary

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma's worst nightmare is coming to a TV screen near you.

A documentary on EFF leader Julius Malema will be broadcast to 10 million households in more than 100 countries when it premieres on Al Jazeera English later this month.

The 48-minute film, Julius vs the ANC, is the second in a trilogy about South Africa directed by Cape Town filmmaker Rehad Desai.

It follows the charismatic leader’s evolution from being the star of the ANC to leading a new political movement after he fell out with Zuma.

Desai, who won an International Emmy for his documentary Miners Shot Down about Marikana, said Malema represented the younger generation who are the future of the country.

“In my mind Julius is a hero, a flawed hero, which makes him more human,” Desai said. “This story indicates that we’ve got to begin to learn from why and how we make decisions around leadership.”

An expanded hour-long version of the documentary, The Giant Is Falling, was named best South African film at the Joburg Film Festival last year and has been screened at seven other festivals, including the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and the One World international human rights documentary film festival.

The documentary includes scenes of Zuma being booed at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in 2013 and a brawl in parliament during the 2015 state of the nation address.

It brings in the #FeesMustFall movement and the ANC’s shock losses in the local elections last year. Those interviewed include political analysts Moeletsi Mbeki and Professor Achille Mbembe, and the leader of the EFF at the University of the Witwatersrand, Vuyani Pambo.

“We did get . . . to interview Julius but it wasn’t for long. I would have loved more time with him but that wasn’t possible,” Desai said.

Malema did not respond to questions about the documentary. It will be broadcast on April 26 at 10pm.