Malemaisms and the art of distraction

Edged in national memory is that picture of a fat youngster who — except for his skimpy underwear, is totally naked — drunkenly leading a protest during the chaos that was the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) elective conference in Mangaung, Bloemfontein. At that conference, Julius Malema was elected president of the ANCYL. How can we forget the naked pandemonium with which Malema broke into the big league of South African politics? He has not disappointed ever since, has he?

In this piece I wish to attempt a definition and an analysis of the Malema-style of politics — what, I for want of a better word, have chosen to name Malemaism. Malemaism is bluster in place of persuasive argument and aggressive defensiveness where a show of sorrow or apology might have sufficed. It is about making the most money in the quickest and easiest manner available in South Africa today: through, consulting, tender-preneuring and becoming a politician. Once the money starts flowing in, the thing to do is to engage in obscene consumption and top it up with a shameless display of the wealth that is being acquired. Malemaism is not merely and only about Malema. However, in his person, several aspects and various dimensions of the phenomenon come together. Let us not make the mistake of thinking Malema is a lone exception. And let us not neglect to notice the “rags-to-riches motif” which is part of the intrigue and myth of the Malema story. Here is a self-made youngster who pays homage to his maker, inspiring others to pay the same homage.

Malemaism is not so much a form of denial as it is a form of dismissal — dismissing without saying and dismissing without effort. Malemaism dismisses, for example, the importance and need of education. This it does in a variety of ways, chief among which is the notion of Julius as a role model. It also dismisses all notions of hard work as it is commonly understood. But there is something else dismissed and disregarded by Malemaism: the abject poverty of South Africa’s poor and their fate. What Chumani Maxwele, the jogger arrested and detained for allegedly showing the middle finger to Zuma’s blue-light brigade, is said to have done, is done by daily by Malemaists. They do it to the poor. In their arrogant press conferences, in VIP events for celebrities and through the fat parties they host in their tall houses, as they drink, chatter and clutter; they stick their middle finger to the poor. As they wheel and deal in the air-conditioned corridors of public and private sector offices, it is the poor they are offending. As their luxury ministerial cars speed through the squatter camps; as their 4x4s spray the playing children with the sewage that is flowing in the streets, the Malemaists are saying voetsek! to the poor.

Above all Malemaism is the art of distraction — the ability to constantly produce serious and not-so-serious issues for no particular reason whatsoever except for the purpose of national distraction. The more genuine the issues ring the more effective they are as distractions. No sooner are we all excited about the issue at stake than it is mysteriously relegated to file number last by both the media and those who broke it in the first place. As a result, we are a nation in constant chase — a nation jumping from one red herring to the next without depth and without consequence. Malemaism is about being adept at manufacturing red herrings, bogey men, straw men and all sorts of plastic issues. Out of the blue, within a month of the Zuma presidency, Cosatu tells the nation that Zuma will serve a second term. Where did that one come from? More recently, the same Cosatu has alleged that Mantashe and Zuma are the targets of a recall plot, which makes you wonder where that leaves Julius. They raised the issue of Trevor — South Africa’s “imperial prime minister” who wishes to control and direct everything. Remember Maroga, the poor rich man who ran Eskom, and the support he received from certain quarters? He is now trying to do to the South African taxpayer what Mpofu (of the SABC) did to the selfsame taxpayer. And why not? It seems easy enough.

When the Babygate scandal broke, the nation was told to keep its nose and hands out of the president’s private and personal matters. Ouch, that hurt, didn’t it? Even the belated apology failed to remove the shock and heal the hurt. Meanwhile, we are being recruited for the “great” national cause of the nationalisation of the Reserve Bank. Forty years after Zambia tried it with disastrous consequences — even as our own government parastatals are floundering — we are being recruited to the “revolutionary cause” of nationalising the mines. Why? Because the Freedom Charter said so! In the midst of these “great” debates, the president wishes to inaugurate and preside — like a talk-show host — over a new national dialogue on ethics and morality. A trifle rich, coming from him wouldn’t you think? While they starve and die in rural villages and in squatter camps, let us “debate” the “great” issues of (presidential) polygamy and (Zulu) culture. As if morality has nothing to do with economic exclusion, poverty and service delivery!

Disagreements within the alliance continue to throw up a number of juicy if also mind-boggling distractions. The latest is the call for lifestyle audits. Typically, the nation has reacted warmly and enthusiastically. The president says never. Cosatu says by all means! For the time being, Cosatu is the people’s ally (until the ANC and Cosatu make a joint statement at the end of which we will be told which ministry will be headed by Vavi). Meanwhile the media continues to conduct its own lifestyle audits — a euphemism for digging deeper into the affairs of the national problem child, Julius. Not that they need to dig that hard. Julius does most of the digging himself, every time he opens his mouth. All that remains is for the media to sift, glean and follow up. The question is, will Julius be buried in the hole he is digging or will he once again, emerge like a phoenix? As long as he lives in what appears to be a permanent state of presidential pardon I think he will emerge. But the fact that the media has been haphazard and uneven about it should not take away from their gallant effort. Thanks to the media, President Jacob Zuma did in five days what he has failed to do in eight months, namely, declare his financial interests as required by law. Maybe the secret is to embrace some of the red herrings tenaciously and to stay long with them until we find in and through them what our “handlers” never intended in the first place.

Everywhere I look, I see distractions, red herrings, diversions, baits and calculated interruptions. Distraction is not only Malema’s tried and tested strategy; he himself is a distraction. During the election campaign, that was his brief. Could it be that his current brief and strategy is to constantly and deftly distract the nation by churning out all sorts of serious and not-so-serious issues for no serious purpose whatsoever? We note that he has been growing desperate by the day. But while we fret, seethe or laugh at the latest bizarre words or inane act of Malema, he and his like are laughing all the way to the bank and they are powering their way up to the top politically. In short they are waving the middle finger to the poor of this country.