Zuma has stolen our ideas, says Malema

INLSA

HANDS ON: Former ANCYL president Julius Malema discusses President Jacob Zumas speech at the ANC policy conference at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. The interview took place at Malemas rented house in Johannesburg. Photo: BONGIWE MCHUNU

Gaye Davis and

Babalo Ndenze

Political Bureau

JULIUS Malema has effectively accused President Jacob Zuma of hijacking the ANC Youth League’s economic freedom campaign by dressing it up as a “second transition”.

The expelled youth league leader made the claim yesterday as delegates to the ANC’s policy conference roundly rejected the idea after devoting much of the past two days to fiercely debating it.

It is too early to say whether this reflects a significant shift in the balance of forces within the ANC, or how much it dents Zuma’s chances of re-election for a second term at Mangaung in December, where he faces a possible challenge from his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe.

Six of the ANC’s nine provinces had already rejected the idea of a second transition before coming to the conference. Motlanthe also questioned its premise, while insisting he was only doing so in the spirit of debate.

Zuma appeared to have prepared the ground for the possible defeat of the notion when he told journalists on Tuesday its rejection would not signify a blow to any individual, since it had been endorsed by the ANC’s national executive committee – and would thus be a case of the movement failing “the poorest of the poor”. He blamed the media for creating the “hype” that tried to make the second transition a proxy leadership debate.

Malema said he had no regrets (for his activities) except one: “My only regret was to campaign for Zuma – and I apologise dearly for causing this country pain.”

Malema said the only way for Zuma to remain relevant “was to address the economic challenges confronting our people, a matter he has been denying”.

“We raised the issue of white males controlling the economy, but we were called racist. (Now) he is repeating it,” Malema said – a reference to Zuma saying at the start of the conference on Tuesday that among the obstacles to ending poverty, unemployment and inequality was the issue that ownership of the economy remained largely in white men’s hands.

Malema said it was the league that had first raised many of the issues Zuma

referred to in his speech during its economic freedom campaign, which calls for the nationalisation of the mines and other economic sectors and the expropriation of land without compensation.

Yesterday he said Zuma was “not acknowledging these views were raised by the youth league”.

“It’s as if I was expelled (so that Zuma) could shine on the issues we have raised,” he claimed.

Zuma earlier this month shut the door on any chances of Malema’s expulsion being reviewed by the ANC’s national executive committee.

Zuma’s allies said the rejection of the second transition idea had “nothing to do with Zuma’s chances at Mangaung”. They characterised Malema’s comments as a bid to “throw stones” and block efforts to come up with ways of effectively dealing with the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality.

The Cape Times understands that delegates found it a step too far to ditch the strategy and tactics document adopted at the ANC’s 2007 Polokwane conference which clearly spelled out the need for fundamental social and economic change to deal with poverty, inequality and unemployment.

Yesterday ANC policy chief Jeff Radebe said that part of the debate was whether a new strategy and tactics document was needed.

Malema said there was no need for a “second transition” because “the Freedom Charter and the national democratic revolution… seeks to attain economic power”.

“This revolution was never cut into pieces. We know it seeks to address fundamentally three issues.

“But we can’t say we’re done with political (formation and) we are not moving to economic or social (formation). They go together.”

“To wake up in the morning and announce you are now in a second transition is politically incorrect and lacks ideological clarity,” Malema said.

l The ANC would report today on the outcome of the debate, Radebe said.