Julius Malema

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Malema was elected a chairman of the Youth League branch in Seshego and the regional chairman in 1995. In 1997 he became the chairman of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) for the Limpopo province, and was elected as the national president of that organisation in 2001. In 2002, Malema led a COSAS march by school pupils, through Johannesburg; the march was marked by incidents of violence and looting.

Malema was elected as the president of the ANC Youth League in April 2008, receiving 1,833 votes to Saki Mofokeng's 1,696 votes. The election – and the conference – were characterized by intimidation, fraud which Malema later described as "unbecoming conduct".

During the April 2009 presidential elections, Malema gathered support for Zuma, in which Malema said: "We are prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma". His statement was condemned from politicians and South Africans alike, while opposition parties questioned why Zuma did not reprimand Malema.

Malema was later re-elected unopposed for a second term on 17 June 2011 at Gallagher Estate in Midrand when Lebogang Maile, the only opposing nominee, declined the nomination.

In September 2009, Malema threatened to mobilise people to withdraw their Nedbank accounts after the bank decided to withdraw its sponsorship from Athletics South Africa (ASA). Although Nedbank argued that the decision was made after dissatisfaction with the delivery of previous events, Malema suggested the withdrawal was related to current controversy around ASA's President Leonard Chuene, who admitted he had been informed about the gender test which concluded that athlete Caster Semenya is an intersex person, but neglected to withdraw her from the World Championships where she won a gold medal.

Malema criticised the Deputy Sport Minister Gert Oosthuizen who had called for Chuene's resignation. Malema argued that there is no concept of intersex in Pedi culture, something he called "imposed on us by the imperialists" and said he did not understand Chuene's apology.

In a response, the parliamentary spokesman on Sport, Anton Alberts stated that Malema was a "dilemma which can no longer be ignored", which needed to be addressed by the ANC.

On 3 April 2010, Malema visited Zimbabwe, in what was described as a visit on indigenisation. He was expected to meet the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. Upon landing in Harare, Malema was greeted by Zanu-PF supporters as well as Zimbabwe's Youth and Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, and ZANU-PF Youth Chairman Absolom Sikhosana, as well as Zimbabwean business figures who had risen to prominence in recent years.

Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, condemned Malema's visit, after Malema criticised Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). During the visit, he described Tsvangirai as an ally of "imperialists", and called for the Mugabeist-style seizure of mines and farms in South Africa.

Youth organisations in Zimbabwe criticised Malema's visit, citing his controversial racial statements and alleged corruption. Malema's comments during the visit sparked fears that South Africa would follow Zimbabwe's chaotic land reform example. Malema also blamed the MDC for introducing political violence to Zimbabwe, and defended Robert Mugabe's political and human rights record. Upon Malema's return from Zimbabwe, the ANC Youth league released a statement praising Mugabe and Zimbabwe's land reform programme. It called for young black South Africans to follow the example of young people in Zimbabwe and to engage in agriculture, so to reduce their dependence on white farmers.

Malema's visit came while President Jacob Zuma was trying to broker a political settlement in Zimbabwe, and reportedly caused concern among ANC officials, but Zuma himself reportedly blessed the visit. The ANC, however, in a later statement distanced itself from the ANC Youth League's electoral support of ZANU-PF.

On 8 April 2010, at a Johannesburg media briefing covering his visit to Zimbabwe, Malema was involved in an incendiary incident with Jonah Fisher, a BBC journalist. Malema had been criticising the Movement for Democratic Change for having offices in affluent Sandton, when BBC journalist Jonah Fisher commented that Malema himself lived in Sandton. Malema lashed out at Fisher after the latter dismissed Malema's comments as rubbish.

Malema was unapologetic and accused Fisher of being disrespectful, and of coming from a country, the UK, which Malema claimed had undermined the credibility and integrity of African leaders. After the incident Malema said he expected an apology from Fisher. However, the next day, the ANC issued a statement condemning Malema's actions during the news conference.

On 10 April 2010, at a news conference in Durban, where he characterised Malema's conduct as "alien to the ANC", President Jacob Zuma publicly criticised Malema's behaviour saying "the manner in which a BBC journalist was treated at an ANC Youth League press conference is regrettable and unacceptable, regardless of any alleged provocation on his part", and said he had spoken to Malema about his conduct by telephone. Malema remained defiant after Zuma's rebuke.

On 18 April 2010, it was reported that Malema faced disciplinary procedures by the ANC for bringing it and the government into disrepute. The charges related to:

Malema faced a "hostile" disciplinary committee on 3 May 2010. On 11 May 2010, Malema entered into a plea bargain, and three of the charges against him were dropped (the attack on the BBC journalist, his endorsement of Mugabe, and his singing of "Shoot the Boer" after it was banned). He pleaded guilty to criticising Zuma after Zuma publicly censured him, and was ordered by the disciplinary committee to make a public apology for his conduct, fined R10,000 which was to be donated to a youth development project, and to attend anger management classes. He was also warned of suspension from the ANC if he re-offended within two years. Malema complied, apologising "unconditionally", stating that he accepted that his "conduct and public utterances should at all times reflect respect and restraint".

Malema became a vocal advocate of nationalising South African mines. Although the ANC, including Mining Minister Susan Shabangu, and President Zuma, made it clear that this was not ANC policy, Malema has continued to advocate this position. His opinions on nationalisation are shared by South Africa's large National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). At a public meeting at the University of Western Cape, Malema asked: "Why should we pay for our land?"

He then advocated the seizure of land without compensation and the removal of the "willing buyer, willing seller" principle. At a 16 June Youth Day celebration, Malema accused white South Africans of "stealing land" and again advocated for the redistribution of land without compensation. In April 2010 Malema led a youth delegation to Venezuela to study that country's nationalisation programme.

Malema campaigned enthusiastically for the ANC in the April 2009 elections. However, he was asked to leave Port Elizabeth's Dora Nginza Hospital after the head of the hospital noticed him and 20 other ANC members campaigning in the wards. In an apparent effort to reach the new youth, Malema began visiting schools. These visits were criticised by Deputy President of South Africa, and of the ANC, Kgalema Motlanthe for being disruptive to education.

In early 2010, Malema urged ANC Youth League members to join the South African National Defence Force, and said that there were plans for the Youth League leadership to join the reservist programme. The military training was confirmed in May 2010, with the naval training due to commence in September 2010.

In March 2010, in what was widely held to be a rebuke of Malema, the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) lashed out at the "new culture of public feuds, insults and personal attacks" and adopted a policy of disciplining those who became involved in public disputes with members of the governing ANC-SACP-COSATU alliance.

Malema's bid for a second term as Youth League president received a boost in 2010 when a number of Eastern Cape ANC Youth League regional conferences in the Eastern Cape elected candidates remained loyal to him, although there were some allegations of irregularities from Malema's opponents.

In Malema's home province of Limpopo, a fiercely contested race for the Youth League presidency had been expected. The Limpopo meeting experienced vigorous discussion, on occasion degenerating into violence. Malema's rivals and journalists were reportedly ejected by police, at the behest of Malema.

On 30 August 2011 Malema was subjected to a disciplinary hearing by the ANC. His supporters held a rally in the center of Johannesburg that turned into a violent confrontation. Some protesters held placards with slogans like "South Africa for blacks only", which caused many disapproving reactions from the black community. Malema submitted an application to have all charges against him revoked. The ANC National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) met on 31 August 2011 and 1 September to deliberate on this application. The ruling was delivered at 9:00 a.m. on 2 September 2011. The NDC dismissed Malema’s application to have the charges quashed.

On 10 November 2011, Malema was found guilty of contravening Rules 25.5(c) and (i) of the ANC Constitution for expressing views at a press conference of the ANC Youth League on 31 July 2011 "which sought to portray the ANC government and its leadership under President Zuma in a negative light in relation to the African agenda and which had the potential to sow division and disunity in the ANC, and for expressing his personal views on Botswana which contravened ANC policy." Malema stated that his league would establish a "Botswana command team", which would work towards uniting all opposition forces in Botswana to oppose what he had called the puppet regime led by the Botswana Democratic Party. Malema was suspended from the ANC for five years.

Convictions handed down by the National Disciplinary Committee to ANC Youth League leaders were upheld by an appeals committee on Saturday, 4 February 2012. As a result, Malema was stripped of his title and party membership. The NDC was instructed by the National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal (NDCA) to hear evidence in mitigation and aggravation of sanction in the cases involving Floyd Shivambu, Sindiso Magaqa, and Malema.

On 29 February 2012, the National Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Derek Hanekom, announced the results of their review from Luthuli House. In their statement the NDC characterised the relationship between the ANC and the three respondents as "contractual in nature", bound by a "membership oath". It goes on to state that the respondents "were fully aware of the provisions of the ANC Constitution; they considered themselves bound by the ANC Constitution and they undertook to respect the ANC Constitution and its structures." The report characterised Malema as a repeat offender who was unrepentant and did not accept the findings of the disciplinary machinery of the ANC. Their conclusion in respect of Malema was:

The NDC expelled Malema from the ANC, ordered him to vacate his position as President of the ANC Youth League, but gave him leave to appeal to the NDCA against sanction within 14 days. On 24 April 2012 the appeal process ended when the NDCA confirmed his expulsion with immediate effect.

Malema visited Zimbabwe in October 2012 to attend a wedding and to address the ZANU-PF Youth wing. Johannesburg's Mail and Guardian quoted the Zimbabwean Herald Online in a story, saying Malema had told the meeting: "He said the youths in South Africa were calling for whites to surrender land and minerals resources they hold because when they came from Europe they did not carry any land into South Africa."

Malema said whites had committed murder to get land.

Malema told the young people he was in Zimbabwe for inspiration so that when he returned home he could "double the spirit of fighting against imperialist forces". He called on black South Africans to have as many children as possible so as to increase dominance of 'our ideas' in the world at large and help catalyze world revolution.

In June 2013, Malema began to canvas for his political party called the Economic Freedom Fighters. The South African president Jacob Zuma, at a meeting with the SA National Editors' Forum, stated that the ruling party does not see this development as a threat. While still on trial for money laundering and racketeering charges Malema started appealing for funds for the new political party.

Malema's visit to Nigerian 'Prophet' T.B. Joshua for 'spiritual blessings' in August 2013 with some EFF members also elicited controversy and media attention.

The EFF won 25 seats in the National Assembly in the 2014 general election. Malema was sworn in as a member of parliament on 21 May 2014. Malema was dismissed from the National Assembly on 19 June 2014 after refusing to withdraw a remark he made on 18 June 2014 accusing the ANC government of murdering the miners involved in the Marikana miners' strike.

As a member of parliament Malema was paid R101‚885 (equivalent to US$6,500) a month.

As an elected MP, Malema has been publicly critical of President Zuma, especially as regards the ANC leader's alleged corruption with respect to the Nkandla scandal. On 12 February 2015, Malema, together with other members of the EFF, was forcibly removed from the State of the Nation address, when Malema interrupted Zuma to question whether he would pay back part of the $23 million in taxpayer funds he used to build a private residence in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. Malema responded to being ejected, suggesting South Africa had become, or was becoming, a police state.

In an interview with the international news broadcaster Al Jazeera English and broadcast on 24 April 2016 Malema stated that should the ruling ANC continue to act violently against protests, "we [the EFF] will remove this government through the barrel of a gun". He went on to accuse the ANC of losing the 2014 elections in Gauteng province and rigging them so as to win. Following these remarks the ANC opened a case of treason with the South African Police Service against Malema for making the comments.

On 23 August 2018, Malema spoke out against the white genocide conspiracy theory and was critical of comments made by United States President Donald Trump, after he had instructed his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to investigate South African farm attacks. Claiming it was "absolute rubbish to say there's white genocide", Malema said that "South Africans would not be intimidated by Mr Trump" and that the US President's intervention into their domestic land rights issues "only made them more determined".

At a media briefing at EFF headquarters on the same day, Malema stated "there is actually black genocide in the U.S., they are killing black people in the U.S. [...] black people are even being killed in South Africa". He also made an allegation that "there’s a group of white right-wingers who are being trained by Jews in Pretoria to be snipers". The South African Jewish Board of Deputies subsequently issued a statement denouncing Malema, calling his comments "typical of his attention-seeking behaviour" and "aimed at creating racial tension".

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