Former South African ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has rubbished claims that he is being bankrolled by some Zimbabweans, adding that he will never be shy to do business with fellow Africans.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Mail at his apartment in Sandton last week, Malema said his visit to Zimbabwe in 2010 had inspired him a lot as he discovered that Zimbabweans had taken back their land despite the difficulties they encountered.
“I don’t have any business in Zimbabwe and I don’t get any funding from Zimbabwe. I wish Zimbabweans can make an offer which we can declare in public because I am now unemployed.
“I will never be shy to do business with my fellow Africans . . . if I had anything to do with Zimbabwe, I would declare it. I am under investigations by South African authorities. We all know that they are chasing me so they have access to my bank accounts, access to my cellphone . . . Tyson (Minister Saviour Kasukuwere) is my only friend in Zimbabwe and if I was involved in any deals with him, they should have picked it up,” said Malema.
On the allegations that he became radical after visiting Zimbabwe, he said: “No, I have always been radical. People saying that are the people who don’t know me. The reason why I was welcomed properly in Zimbabwe is because of my radical stance, but I must say I even got more inspired in Zimbabwe . . .
“I learnt that people can take charge of what rightly belongs to them. Not cowards. Zimbabweans are not cowards. They are not scared to take a risk. That’s why even those who leave Zimbabwe illegally to cross into South Africa, they cross through rivers that have crocodiles.
“That is their character and nature. Fearless. That is what got me inspired. They got land and now they are continuing with agricultural activities. They are working, they are employing each other.”
Commenting on the relationship between Zanu-PF and the ANC, Malema said the South African ruling party was not genuine in its relationship with Zimbabwe.
“I don’t think the ANC is genuine in its relationship with Zanu-PF. There are a lot of contentious things that are happening. I went to Zimbabwe and I said many other things and I got punished for that. But people also realise that those things can also gain them cheap popularity.
“Gwede (ANC secretary general) went there and almost said the same things that I said, but he had no problems. I know the views of President Zuma about Zimbabwe and Zanu-PF, and that’s why I don’t think that they are genuine.
“I don’t think that President Zuma is a neutral facilitator in the Zimbabwean problems. He has very strong views about President Mugabe and Zanu-PF. All you see is very pretentious and it’s not helpful at all.
“I don’t think Zanu-PF should buy into that. Well, they have diplomatic relations so they will relate at that level. I am not a diplomat, but I am saying to you President Zuma does not say the things that he says when he is in Zimbabwe when he is in the meetings of the ANC.
“I don’t think he must be a facilitator at this point in time. He has very problematic views and I have argued against those views in the meetings of the ANC against what he seeks to project Zanu-PF and its leadership.”
He added: “I think what contributes more to his (president Zuma’s) hatred of those comrades is because of their close relationship with President Mbeki. And I think he suspects that they might have supported President Mbeki and not him and this is an opportunity to get to them.”
Although he was expelled from the ANC, Malema insists that he still has a future in the party.
“I said to you I am sitting right outside the gate of the ANC. These gates will open one day. They can’t be closed forever. Even if it’s after five years, I will continue to be a member of the ANC. Even if it’s after Zuma’s term, I will continue to be a member of the ANC.
“So I am not going to form any political party. I am not going to go to the courts. I will continue to be a political activist,” he vowed.
He even boasted that one day he would be president of the ANC. “It will happen in future. I am 31 years old and I have differences with people in their 70s so even if it happens after 20 years, I will go and tell them in their graves that what you wished not to happen is happening now.”
He said he has never been critical of President Mugabe and went on to describe him as a principled leader.
“I have never been critical of President Mugabe. I said that President Mugabe has been President for a long time, but despite it all he has never succumbed to the pressure of the imperialists. He is exemplary . . . the leadership we need in Africa.
“We need more people like President Mugabe who will say no to imperialists. Not leaders who are voted by the people but when the imperialists ask them to jump, they don’t ask why but how high.”
When he was asked why many South Africans show their support of President Mugabe whenever he visits South Africa, Cde Malema said:
“It’s because he represents change. He is not scared of white minority rule. He is not scared. He is not scared of colonialism. He stands firm for what he believes in. South Africans like that character.
“President Mandela was liked because of that — being prepared to die for the ideals of the struggle that he represented at that time. And that is what President Mugabe is doing.
“He doesn’t care who says what. If Zimbabweans continue to elect him, that is their own call. We like his leadership style. Decisiveness and not shy to take unpopular decisions in the eyes of the imperialist media.” Sunday Mail
