By Alec Hogg
EFF leader Julius Malema came to Biznews yesterday for an interview with our colleague Tim Modise. I missed the visit but like you, am able to listen to and watch their discussions which are posted on the site. It struck me how passionate Malema is about wanting to change things that frustrate him and his followers. But also how his beliefs come from assumptions based on myths, emotion and jargon.
During an off-the-record engagement in Davos, a global leader who spends his life trying to help government leaders effect economic development shook his head when I asked him about South Africa. He commented that the genes required to get elected to Parliament are very different from those needed to run an efficient economy. Don’t we just know it.
But before losing hope, how’s this for context? Malema’s EFF garnered 1.1m votes in the 2014 Election. Yesterday, the thoughtful, cerebral young media entrepreneur and broadcaster Gareth Cliff celebrated his one millionth follower on Twitter. Don’t use Malema to assume how young South Africans think. Sure, he represents a constituency. But as Cliff’s army shows, there are equally significant groupings elsewhere that see the holes in the rhetoric of populist politicians.
From Biznews community member Malcolm Russell
I’m not sure if you get to read what must be a flood of mail responses to your newsletters. But I take my chances.
I believe in unsolicited commendations far more than the common “we’ll tell you only when you get it wrong”
Your insights and comments pretty much always resonate with me.
Nothing has changed.
Yesterday’s top stories:
Cees Bruggemans: Why SA has more than RW Johnson’s “two years left”
More muck on SA part in FIFA corruption; Lekota: $10m was a bribe
Controversially elected ANCYL Leader wants to drive mine nationalisation
Eskom: How it turned from world’s best to basket case in 15 years
Sasol CEO David Constable calls it quits, won’t renew his contract
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