Tuesday, 22 July 2008

Willing to kill for the cause

The president of the ANC Youth League, one Julius Malema, recently made a speech in which he said that he was willing to "kill for Jacob Zuma". The result was quite a furor. The Human Rights Commission solicited a promise that he wouldn't use the term "kill" again. All the while, Julius has protested his innocence. It wasn't meant literally. It was quoted out of context. But he has steadily defended the statement nonetheless.

But the problem does not end there. Having promised not to kill in the future, he has come out with a new term. Eliminate. The counter-revolutionary forced must be eliminated. No, he didn't mean kill. He meant Removed. But just how does he propose to eliminate these counter revolutionary forces?

In Julius Malema's view of the world, a counter revolutionary is an opponent of Jacob Zuma. The definition included many in his own party. It includes the official opposition and all the other smaller parties represented in the South African parliament. Who is left? How will they be removed? Or eliminated? Will he use a third force? What will he do when the purge is over?

HEaring such language from a party that produced such men of integrity and peace is disturbing. Perhaps the party is over. A new breed that do not share the same ideology are emerging. Where will it end?

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