Why would the ANC be divided over Malema?

The excellent article by Matuma Letsoalo and Mmanaledi Mataboge outlining the division within ANC ranks following President Jacob Zuma’s public reprimand of ANCYL President Julius Malema speaks volumes about loyalty to a personality rather than policy.

To say that this admonishment was long overdue is probably the understatement of the year and those that are of the view that these things should be dealt with internally by the party have no place being part of the government.

In this regard :

Firstly Malema has repeatedly and publically undermined Zuma’s authority on issues including — but by no means limited to — mediation in Zimbabwe, nationalisation and the singing of “shoot the boer”. In each case this was done with total disregard to what Zuma had set out to the public previously and came within hours or days after the president had taken a position.

In doing this the impression is created that the one half of the ANC won’t listen to the other or worse, doesn’t understand why or what the NEC is trying to achieve and couldn’t give a damn either way.

As we have witnessed Malema has warned the ANC leaders publically that if they don’t support nationalisation then woe betide their chances in 2012. We have also witnessed his public attacks on ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe as well as the leaders of the alliance partners. Where were these anti-public “leaders” — blind followers is closer — when this was taking place?

Secondly if we use the example of “shoot the boer”, where Malema and the ANCYL steadfastly and very publically refuse to be guided by the ANC, or the courts for that matter, the impression is created that the ANC has no control over its members.

Interestingly then how former ANCYL president now Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has come out against Zuma on the issue of the public reprimand.

The deputy police minister, who is second in charge of maintaining law and order in the country, is criticising the president for going public on an ANC matter where the issue is inter alia the public refusal by a member of the ANCYL to obey a court order or an ANC directive. Where was Mbalula while all of this was going on? He never seemed to have a problem with all the negative publicity then.

Mbalula should rather explain to South Africans on what basis he holds that portfolio. Clearly his allegiance lies first to the ANCYL then the ANC and lastly to his position as deputy police minister because if it were otherwise he would have arrested Malema for contempt of court and spared Zuma having to deal with it.

If as alleged he is part of a move to oust Zuma in 2012 then this article should be circulated to all South Africans as confirmation that when it comes to issues of policy, his only concern is the wellbeing of the ANCYL.

This based upon the fact that the deputy police minister who should be concerned with the safety of all South Africans is annoyed because one of the principle offenders is reprimanded in public, having done nothing to ensure that he was charged for his contempt of court or at the very least, if he is true to his principles, slammed Malema for publically opposing the ANC.

Give him a portfolio that doesn’t put him in control of South Africans as a whole but rather limit it to issues where the ANCYL is all that need concern him.

Thirdly as the ruling party the ANC has to project power — in that it is seen to be in control of the affairs of all South Africans — but its youth league is systematically making its name a joke publically. How then — other than in public — do these ANC leaders who dispute Zuma’s public rebuke suggest that it be corrected?

Clearly the ANCYL goes out of its way to do everything with the maximum publicity. That is intended to reach the citizens of the country. Are they suggesting that the rest of the ANC then do things in private leaving them looking like gutless wonders who have no control over “the real leaders”?

Why would you want that?

In terms of the wellbeing of both party and country it is clear that Zuma had to show that the government and the party have things in hand. Why then would anyone within the ANC side with Malema on the public rebuke when all that Zuma has done is what was long overdue in light of Malema’s public conduct?

This is a clear case of loyalty to a personality, Malema, over policy or party by certain members of the ANC who have no problems when the youth league leader repeatedly undermines the party and president in public. Never heard them publically chastising Malema for publically undermining Zuma or the party.

Why would that be?

By the way if anyone is playing the jackpot today try using the numbers 2-0-1-2 something tells me that’s right on the money.