In a move which surprised many, ANC Youth League President and all-round firebrand Julius Malema today visited the Northern Cape white Afrikaner enclave of Orania.
In a move which surprised even more, he didn’t actually say anything particularly stupid.
Orania Movement president Carel Boshoff junior said in describing the mood of the talks with Malema and an ANCYL delegation there was no “shoot out” or “search for control” attitude during the discussions.
Boshoff junior said they did encounter differences in aspirations and vision between the two groups but it would not exclude further talks with the ANCYL.Malema said he liked the attitude of the Orania community in that they were prepared to talk. He said the ANC government would always be willing to help those who try and help themselves.
“They co-operate instead of working against each other,” said Malema, adding it was a nice reality to be exposed to. [link]
I’m beginning to get a different impression of Malema. Yes, he does say some completely daft stuff, but he is always, always in the news. Never a bad thing during an election campaign. The media follows him everywhere in droves, just waiting for his next ill-thought, inflammatory comment, which gives him plenty of opportunity to put his message across to a huge audience. It’s a clever ploy and I reckon those people who thought he was really that stupid are actually the ones who were being fooled.