Malema and Other Tokoloshes

Julius Malema is facing, yet again, another disciplinary hearing for being out of line with the ruling party. This follows a comment he made several months back calling for regime change in the most ruthless and violent country in Africa: Botswana?

Luthuli House was sieged by hundreds of supporters of Malema, showing their  support by stoning police and journalists (agents of the regime). The riots reached a pinnacle when Malema actually had  to come out to encourage the crowd to save its energy for other battles and not to attack photographers. The hearings have moved to a undisclosed location to stem the bottle-neck of activity surrounding Luthuli House.

Malema's hearing makes me wonder. He is no doubt an instigator and encourages controversial ideas. From shooting boers to overthrowing Zuma, Malema's mere presence in South Africa has many grey-haired folks worried. But is he really a huge threat?

South Africa thrives on the idea of a boogeyman. Whether it is an imperialist, a scarlet pimpernel or a "swart gevaar", all cultures within our nation need a nemesis - a galvanizing force if you will. Sometimes this threat is real but most of the times it is based on an irrational fear.

This is entrenched in our national identity. The threat of the English taking over the Cape created enough hysteria for Afrikaners to pack-up and head up north. The threat of Mandela, the scarlet pimpernel, coming out of jail caused enough South Africans to pack-up and head for Perth. Not even 5 years ago, the threat of Zuma's charisma was seen as the downfall old school Xhosa nostra ruling elite. South Africans like fear. We thrive on it even if it is to our own detriment.

Malema is not a great leader. Charismatic and popular? Yes. A threat? Perhaps. But importantly, he is more a symbol of an idea than an actual person. No doubt he has support and will get only stronger. He may even become President one day long in the future. Perhaps though, we make him out to be larger than what he really is. Even if we were to sell Malema to the Chinese or get rid of him some how, we would soon find another boogeyman to be scared of. It's our national character, it's who we are, regardless of skin colour.