Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), harshly criticized the African National Congress’ (ANC) 114th birthday celebrations, which took place in the North West and were characterized by a low attendance, subpar planning, and, as Malema put it, an alarming display of ineptitude.
Malema criticized the program director’s apology as insincere and meaningless in the wake of the incident. He claimed that a genuine apology should have been made clearly and not merely given as an afterthought or presented as a political ploy to manipulate public opinion.
“The apology felt manipulative and contrived rather than sincere,” Malema stated, implying a lack of responsibility on the part of the leaders. He emphasized that honesty and accountability are not up for debate, particularly for a liberation movement that boasts a proud history, in times of failure.
In addition, Malema attacked the event’s logistical organization, especially the traffic congestion that allegedly left thousands of people stuck for hours. He maintained that it is an admission of failure to cite a traffic jam brought about by 20,000 people attending a single-day event in a community.
“Proper planning means anticipating movement, managing traffic flow, and ensuring that people are not penalized for attending your event,” he stated. “Leaving supporters stuck in traffic is incompetence, not mobilization. ”
Taking a larger perspective, Malema claimed that the scenario resembled the everyday traffic congestion in South Africa’s big cities, which he said was a sign of years of poor administration and planning. He believes that the ANC’s failure to organize a one-day festival is a sign of underlying structural problems that continue to annoy the general public.
Additionally, he used a well-known phrase to emphasize his claim that there was a dearth of revolutionary discipline and resilience: “Revolutionaries do not hide from the sun; there is no rain in the revolution, but the revolution is in the rain. ”
According to Malema, genuine revolutionaries are able to withstand pain and hardship without protest, and the weather, geography, or circumstances cannot be used as justification for low turnout or logistical issues. In contrast, he claimed that these results are brought about by organizational rot and political detachment.
The comments contribute to rising political rivalry as parties prepare for upcoming elections. The North West birthday celebration, in Malema’s opinion, represented the ANC’s diminishing organizational ability and revolutionary legitimacy.
