Laura Hollis: Julius Malema and the deliberate malovolence of Marxism

Over the past few weeks, England’s Daily Mail has published several articles about the growing political unrest in South Africa and the rise of Julius Malema, head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), an expressly “Marxist-Leninist” party calling for “seizure of private property without compensation” and nationalization of the country’s gold mines, banking institutions and other industries. Malema has declared his plans to “destroy South African capitalism” and turn the country into Cuba, which he describes as a “successful socialist state.” Malema follows the Marxist playbook, demonizing entire classes of South Africans – mostly white farmers – and calling for their deaths. Malema has been chanting “Kill the Boer” at his massive rallies, and his followers are listening; in 2023 alone, there have been 42 murders of white farmers in South Africa -- more than one a week. Malema also displays the personal hypocrisy typical of Marxists. A multimillionaire who lives in an exclusive community, he is married to a supermodel who dresses in designer fashions; their child attends an exclusive private school; Malema has a fleet of luxury European automobiles at his disposal, and he shops at the world’s most expensive boutiques. Despite his flagrant hypocrisy and overt calls for genocide, poor Black people in South Africa are flocking to Malema and his EFF. Malema’s party currently holds 44 seats in the South African parliament, and he is predicted to become vice president of the country in the next election. Young people interviewed by the Daily Mail say the same things: They are poor. They are desperate. They will vote EFF because the country’s economy is terrible and the other parties offer them nothing. Alas, if Malema and the EFF gain control of South Africa, his supporters will be in for a rude awakening.