Malema’s hyped address to soldiers falls on few ears
March of ‘revolution’ slows after minister talks tough
XPELLED ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s “revolution” showed signs of slowing yesterday after the defence minister put her foot down.
Only about 100 people turned up when he addressed SA National Defence Force members in Lenasia, south of Joburg – a far cry from the crowds of miners he has attracted in what he calls a bid to make the industry ungovernable in the name of economic freedom.
Political analyst Ebrahim Fakir said the SANDF was driven by rules, discipline and control. The soldiers knew where the power lay and knew Malema did not have “the means to deal with their concerns”.
“Defence force members realised they can’t risk their jobs by going to listen to some guy.”
Malema’s plan to address soldiers was described as “potentially dangerous”, and military bases countrywide were reportedly put on high alert.
In an interview on SABC radio, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula accused Malema of trying to turn soldiers against the state.
During his address to the soldiers, Malema lashed out at Mapisa-Nqakula.
“I am very disappointed by the statement of the minister which was putting all the camps [bases] on high alert. And that we constitute a security threat.
“Since when do people who meet to discuss grievances pose a security threat? This is what led to the killing at Marikana – unnecessary panic by our government,” he shouted.
He said a capable, confident leadership would “never panic because it enjoys the support of the people”.
EMalema said that such a leadership would have nothing to hide and would be the people’s servants. “And maybe they are meeting to discuss, you know, ‘how do we make the employer more happy’. Why would you be threatened that when people meet, they are planning a coup d’état? You will only have that problem if you know that you have got serious shortcomings and you don’t enjoy the support of your own people.”
He said he was not planning to remove the government undemocratically. He admitted, however, “we don’t love this leadership of this government”.
“We will never conspire with the soldiers or any body to engage in an illegal activity,” he said.
Malema said the issue of the
Defence force members can’t risk
their jobs
SANDF members who marched to the Union Buildings in 2009 had not been resolved because the government was rudderless.
He added that everything was collapsing. “People are losing confidence. We need to rebuild the confidence of our people.
“Your commander-in-chief [Zuma] is engaged in other things. You are a less priority.”
Then he took a swipe at Zuma. “I don’t know what priority to him is. Maybe getting married every year,” he said, to applause.
“Abafazi [women]. He specialises on that one. Maybe that is what is going right for him.”
Malema was invited to speak by soldiers, who are calling for their reinstatement, after they had marched illegally on the Union Buildings on August 19, 2009 in defiance of two military orders and a court order.
The members had been given a notice to prove, within 10 days, why they should not be permanently dismissed.
The notice and consequent paid suspension of the soldiers led to a years’ long court battle between the SA National Defence Union (SANDU) and the SANDF.
SANDU took the matter to the high court and challenged the manner in which the department attempted to terminate the soldiers’ employment.
The high court ruled in favour of SANDU based on the fact that the procedure adopted in dismissing the soldiers was not fair.
A decision was taken by the SANDF to take the matter directly to the Supreme Court of Appeal since leave to appeal was not granted in the high court.
On August 30 this year, the court ruled in their favour.
One of the soldiers, Sipho Swelinkomo, said they were tired of being paid for sitting at home.
“We are paid by the taxpayer. We want to go back to work,” he said.
Fakir said Malema was trying to create anarchy to get back at the people who had pushed him out of the ANC after a convoluted process of disciplinary hearings.
Malema’s address yesterday took place a day after he had talked to thousands of mineworkers at Gold Fields’ KDC mine in Carletonville and called for stayaways in the industry.
But Fakir said that people were beginning to see through Malema.
Fakir said that people could see that what Malema was doing was largely about his own political survival and to maintain his own relevance after being expelled from the ANC.
Fakir added that Malema’s support was “overestimated”.