Julius Malema ... Robert Mugabe mark II ?

For a while now, Julius Malema, South Africa's infamous ANC Youth leader, loud mouth clown and occasional bully has kept us all entertained with regular public outbursts,appearing to almost seek controversy where ever he goes. He is the butt of a thousand jokes & cartoons and was even the subject of one of Nandos now famous series of adverts. However, with barely 60 days to go until this country hosts the biggest show on earth, Mr Malema, (who some Senior ANC members have dared to suggest could perhaps one day follow in the steps of Mr Mandela, a youth leader turned president), has now moved into a different league completely... a league where those such as Robert Mugabe exist.

Firstly during a recent visit to Zimbabwe, Malema did not try to hide his support for the notorius Zanu PF leader, openly criticising opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and even suggesting that South Africa emulate Mugabe's policy of seizing white owned land and farms. As if this were not enough, less than a week later when talking at a press conference, he again criticised the MDC party for working from air conditioned offices in affluent Sandton,in Johannesburg. When a BBC journalist dared to comment that Malema himself lived in Sandton. Mr Malema once again showed his true colours with an outburst that resulted in him throwing the guilty Journalist out of the conference.



I have been shouting the loudest this last week about the irresponsible British media on the manner in which they have been reporting on the Eugene Terreblanche murder, accusing them of only telling a one sided story and spreading unnecessary panic amongst world cup visitors. However, even I would not blame Jonah Fisher the BBC Journalist at the moment for having a less than positive outlook following his experience, lets hope he is a forgiving man. The man who's head I would really like to get inside of though, is that of Mr Mandela himself .... having gone through everything he did fighting for the day when blacks and whites could share a democracy and achieving his goal and indeed so much more, I cannot help wonder what his thoughts are on our Mr Malema!? I think I have a pretty good idea though!

To all the football supporters coming this way ... you have nothing to worry about and I apologise on behalf of South Africa for this idiot.

On this very subject, I was alerted to an interesting website & blog by Neal Collins http://www.nealcollins.co.uk/ a rare journalist that for once tells the story from both sides.