The south african poor staged a protest yesterday over chronic poverty,unemployment and the continuous domination of white supremacist on the natural resources of black south africans. I admire Julius Malema for speaking out on the crucial issue the old school black south african politicians seems to shy away from,the issue of redistribution wealth from the rampaging sojouners to the oppressed indigenous people of south africa. Power and might belongs humane people,it might take time but justice will always prevail. When will nigerians march against autocratic leaders like GEJ?

hahaha. Such a misleading post.

nolongthing, it's you again. I see that you like researching South Africa as much as I like researching Nigeria. The problem is that you rely too much on numbers compiled by the biased western people. The truth is that the real numbers are actually worse than the western rubbish you gleaned from the interwebs.

Statistics South Africa conducts a yearly survey which they call General Household Survey. This survey looks into education, health, housing, energy, water, sanitation and food access. These are the real and official findings www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0318/P0318June2010.pdf

Please go to the Stats SA website to find other real numbers www.statssa.gov.za

Pity that the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics doesn't have comprehensive of even reliable numbers, so we(including Nigerians) have to rely on estimate numbers compiled by the usually biased west. www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/

ohannesburg - ANC Youth League members arrived at their Pretoria destination in the early hours of Friday morning, after a day-long "economic freedom" march from Johannesburg.

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema lead from the front, himself walking most of the 50km trip, barring a few breaks on a truck.

The walk from Sandton to Tshwane, along the R101 Old Pretoria Road, took eight hours.

Marchers streamed into the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria from about 01:00 and seemed ready to party despite the long walk.

A stage was set up on the stadium field where local DJs and rap artists performed for the crowd, who sang and danced along to the music.

An ANCYL official announced over the hailers that marchers should move to the food area to collect something to eat.

They were given bread rolls and juice. There were also hawkers selling chicken and steak.

One of the marchers who had walked the whole way from Sandton in her stiletto heels said she was relieved to have arrived.

"I made it," she said smiling.

Night vigil

Marchers were greeted by a large police contingent at the stadium, where a night vigil was to be held ahead of the handing over of a memorandum to the Presidency at the Union Buildings at 10:00 on Friday morning.

Portable toilets and a stage had been set up while security staff in fluorescent jackets were dotted around the stadium.

Some of the marchers had fallen asleep in cars as well as on a nearby lawn, pavements and stadium chairs.

On Thursday, Malema handed over a memorandum of grievances to the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg's city centre, before marching to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton.

The weary marchers had a brief rest before resuming their walk to Pretoria, although a large number dispersed while others boarded buses and taxis.

Many of them had begun gathering from 05:00 in Beyers Naude Square in the Johannesburg CBD. They only began walking at noon, four hours later than planned due to transport problems.

Led by Malema, police cars, four Casspirs and a water cannon, the group sang and danced through the CBD.

Chamber of Mines CEO Bheki Sibiya undertook to distribute the memorandum to its 55 members.

"We understand that the level of unemployment is too high and we agree with the youth league that the level of poverty is too high," he said.

The league wanted the nationalisation of mines and the introduction of probation programmes within companies to give youth skills in mining.

Malema urged supporters to exercise "maximum discipline" during their "long walk to economic freedom".

"Take your time and walk. We have the whole day and night. You must not run," he said. "We [the leadership] are coming to march with you because we are all from poor backgrounds."

Freedom

Some of the placards carried by marchers read: "The real freedom is economic not parliamentary. Free my people."

Another, bearing slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's picture, read: "We salute anti-imperialist martyr Gaddafi".

Others read: "90 percent of the economy is still in the hands of the minority" and "Malema we must stand by you through thick and thin."

When the group reached the JSE, Malema chanted: "Down with white capital monopoly. The people who are stealing our wealth must come on stage."

An official from the JSE received the memorandum from Malema, saying only: "Thank you for the opportunity. We will take your demands to the executive."

Source:www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics

A much more comprehensive report from daily maverik.
By the second day of the ANC Youth League’s “economic freedom” march the real intention of the protest filtered through when songs calling for the replacement of President Jacob Zuma were sung. CARIEN DU PLESSIS took the Gautrain to Pretoria to be there.

The eery sense of impeccable discipline about the ANC Youth League’s march gave the impression that the organisation meant business. Also, walking the song that President Jacob Zuma always used to sing, Siyaya ePitoli (We’re going to Pretoria), kind of gave the impression that it’s not just talk for the League.

Pushing to get through the narrow gate leading to the Union Buildings lawn on Friday morning was a strangely orderly affair. It’s almost unnatural that people who are so hot (32 degrees Celcius, to be more exact), so young, tired, angry, and perhaps a little hungry as well, should be so patient and disciplined.

More than 5,000 people passed through that gate without incident. Maybe they were tired from not sleeping after marching most of Thursday and the night, but then again, the day before they behaved impeccably too.

But being driven by a cause does that to you. And boy did that cause become clear on Friday, with the young ones singing songs that President Jacob Zuma should be “changed”, while making that unsettling soccer hand sign indicating a substitute – the one that was used by the youth to get rid of then president Thabo Mbeki in Polokwane 2007.

It was followed by a showing of (clad) asses turned in the direction of the Union Buildings. The crowd was unhappy about being made to wait.

ANC Youth League President Julius Malema, who spoke from the back of the truck that was used in the march, now parked at the bottom of the Union Building steps behind the wire fence that separates the lawn (and the crowds) from the sloped gardens and steps.

He looked a bit tired, his yellow T-shirt with Madiba’s face on it (the hero who he wants people to believe he is turning into) having a few crease marks from stretching around the tummy area, and it seemed like he wanted to get the gathering over and done with. His energy as public speaker was, however, undiminished.

The Presidency had sent its Director-General, Cassius Lubisi, to receive the memorandum, but he was politely turned down by the League. “We need a minister, and if you’re not a minister, don’t even come close,” Malema said. Deputy ministers are, apparently, also okay. Malema’s reasoning was that people voted for ministers and deputies (who are in political positions), but not for those in administrative positions. Malema called for a minister about two or three times, in between sitting down in the truck to rest. If a minister didn’t come to receive the League’s memorandum, the kids would have gone home with it, and made another date with the Presidency.

While we were waiting, one police officer speculated that the Presidency was struggling to reach Zuma by phone (the President is in Perth for the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting), but eventually newly appointed Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi descended the steps, suited and fresh from a meeting, and perhaps just a tad nervous. As unionist at teachers’ union Sadtu, Nxesi had been part of many protests, but he was a virgin at being on the other side.

Malema was triumphant, and declared that the League “always get what we want”. Despite having shown some irritation and suspicion earlier at whoever had deployed the special police task forces to be there (and we all know whose best friend Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa is), Malema made it clear that “we did not come here to fight with government. We support their programmes, but we came here to say we want more.”

He also tried to silence those critics (like SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande) who said the aim of the march was to topple Zuma, by saying: “This is a popular government. This government can’t be compared with the governments of Egypt and Tunisia. It has been elected and you will come here if you have issues to raise with government. It doesn’t mean you don’t love the ANC, but you want the ANC to do more.”

He handed the memorandum to Nxesi, who congratulated the League on the peaceful march and said Cabinet would study the League’s demands, which included nationalisation of the mines, expropriation of land without compensation (which would require a change to the Constitution), free education – the usual stuff.

The statistics around the march will become the stuff of struggle legend. It will probably go down in history that Malema had walked the whole 60km, although there was talk of him having bailed at 35km.

After initial reports that Malema had done parts of the journey on the back of the truck, the ANC Youth League issued a statement saying that this was “a desperate and disgusting lie”. In this game of chicken, er, sorry, economic oppression, with the ANC’s big shots, it is important for Malema to appear to be the one who didn’t blink first, or abandon his people.

Malema said the first group of walkers arrived at the Caledonian stadium in Pretoria at about 4.30am, which would have meant that League spokesman Floyd Shivambu’s press release just after 3am, stating that the marchers on foot arrived at 2.56am, was a little premature perhaps.

Malema also said 25,000 people took part in the march in total, after he on Monday said 5,000 was expected. It’s difficult to say if he was right, but media estimates had put the crowd at about 5,000 to 8,000.

Whatever the truth, Malema has won this round convincingly, and his endurance has won him respect even from people who might not have been open to respecting him in the past. It’s going to get more interesting from here on, we suspect. An ANC Youth League big shot suggested that the organisation would organise another big rally around the party’s centenary celebrations next year. “This is not the end but the beginning of the fight for economic freedom,” he said.

So, now that they've shown us the determination they're capable of, expect a lot more of the same from the ANC Youth League. DM

Following the march, Juju attended a R10 million wedding in Mauritius. Gotta support a black brother living the white man's life.

@Zolzlolz
According to the Sunday Times report today that's exactly what Julius Malema did. And it is dissapointing. It just shows you (me) that we need better principled leaders to lead us in this phase of economic emancipation in SA.
Will definately not win this battle with conflicting actions to the poverty many young south africans live with.

The issue of economic freedom for majority of poor south africans is a real issue and deepening poverty. We need better leaders to lead this cause. At this point I (we) miss the millitant, principled and dedicated leadership of our veteran leaders like Bantu Steve Biko, N Mandela, Chris Hani and many more others who fell for us to be where are today.

Why should JuJu live a poor life? All he's doing is campaigning for others to live like he does. Is there anything wrong with that? Julius Malema is rich and he wants other young black South Africans to also be rich. How many rich people do you know who campaign for improved policies aimed at also making YOU rich?

@Paniki
There absolutely nothing wrong with Julius Malema living a rich life especially if his riches are acquired legally.
But there is something that is wrong in principle by a leader who leads millions of impoverished young people during the day time and in the media and during the night indulges in a riches. Principally there is something wrong with that. A leader is some one ready to take up responsibility on behalf of those people that he/she is leading.
And most importantly in a silent and vicious struggle like economic freedom where your opposition in south africa is white supremecy and institutionalised racist economic exclusion of majority south africans, a person who is not ready to sacrifice all that he/she has to break down such supremecy is not ready to fight this battle and is seen by such institutions as a mere rhetoric leader.

^^^It's not that his is rich, but the unscrupulous way he got rich. Let's face it, how does he get that wealthy; expensive watches, house, 4x4 car on his salary? It seems that people connected to the government have shot to instant wealth.

paniki:

Why should JuJu live a poor life? All he's doing is campaigning for others to live like he does. Is there anything wrong with that? Julius Malema is rich and he wants other young black South Africans to also be rich. How many rich people do you know who campaign for improved policies aimed at also making YOU rich?

The CRASS MATERIALISM and the 'get quick rich' mentality that Juju and other government connected rich black people seem to display is sending an entirely WRONG message to S.A. youth. To me, I see these people saying that it's more important to practise greed, doesn't matter if it's through dodgy means and who gives a f- if it's at the expense of your people. If you watched Cutting Edge on SABC1, you'll know that a few weeks ago they were talking about black township teenagers who found it in fashion to buy expensive brands. These children look up to people like Kenny Kunene and his lifestyle. But tell me, how will lambourginis empower us? How will the expensive brands empower us? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE RICH?

@zolzlolz
Without putting on record it is a possibility his riches were acquired in by unscrupulous means.But if not than I see nothing wrong in him buying expensive watches, 4x4s and big housess.
That's what people do when they get rich, they acquire such material things for themselves.His material posession is no exception from his rich peers. But again without being put on record I can say that his unscrupulous riches or not in majority the riches come from business and government.
It's all messed up and makes his motives for his econmic reform policies questionable.And because of this probable questionable motives it becomes difficult for him to bargain and speak on economic issues on behalf of all the majority of south africans. And hence I stated earlier the importance of responsible leadership.

@zolzlolz

May I ask you where is Zillestan? Is it the latest racist country that have been formed in western cape? another Orania?

Damn I hate this pink things and Zolzlolz you are one of the them Ican smell you from the distance,you smell like a wet dog.

You are very wrong. You must stop playing with your wet dog when you're sitting in front of your computer HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Vivian. SA:

@zolzlolz
Without putting on record it is a possibility his riches were acquired in by unscrupulous means.But if not than I see nothing wrong in him buying expensive watches, 4x4s and big housess.
That's what people do when they get rich, they acquire such material things for themselves.His material posession is no exception from his rich peers.

Viv, Juju's lifestyle is in EXCESS. Marie Antoinette got beheaded because of this(ie: She seriously p-ed people off). The newspapers have previously reported of how Juju has abused his position of power for self enrichment. This is a spit in the face for the millions of poor folks in this country who toil and toil for peanuts. And I personally don't know what this is teaching SA youth. I see school children chosing degrees like accounting solely on the basis that they'll be rich. They see what what JZ's family and friends have and they want that too. If greed is motivating them to pursue these degrees, then how do you know they won't make dishonest choices throughout their careers solely to be rich. There's a difference between wanting a better life and plain greed. I'm for broadening the mind, not broadening the wallet. The former empowers you to control your destiny and enables you to question, discover and improve your community. You shall inevitably lead a better life. Owning expensive things is just materialistic. What is life if the only function of it is to gain material things?

Vivian. SA:

@Paniki
There absolutely nothing wrong with Julius Malema living a rich life especially if his riches are acquired legally.
But there is something that is wrong in principle by a leader who leads millions of impoverished young people during the day time and in the media and during the night indulges in a riches. Principally there is something wrong with that. A leader is some one ready to take up responsibility on behalf of those people that he/she is leading.
And most importantly in a silent and vicious struggle like economic freedom where your opposition in south africa is white supremecy and institutionalised racist economic exclusion of majority south africans, a person who is not ready to sacrifice all that he/she has to break down such supremecy is not ready to fight this battle and is seen by such institutions as a mere rhetoric leader.

JuJu is rich and he doesn't hide the fact that he is rich(which is what you want him to do). The thing that makes Julius Malema popular with the youth is that he wants other young black South Africans to be rich. They see a young rich man who publicly fights with government, corporate/industry heavyweights and others all in the interest of the youth, they don't care whether he's rich or poor - all they care about is the message that he delivers on their behalf.

zolzlolz:

Viv, 1.Juju's lifestyle is in EXCESS. Marie Antoinette got beheaded because of this(ie: She seriously p-ed people off). The newspapers have previously reported of how 2.Juju has abused his position of power for self enrichment. This is a spit in the face for the millions of poor folks in this country who toil and toil for peanuts. And I personally don't know what this is teaching SA youth. 3.I see school children chosing degrees like accounting solely on the basis that they'll be rich. They see what what JZ's family and friends have and they want that too. 4.If greed is motivating them to pursue these degrees, then how do you know they won't make dishonest choices throughout their careers solely to be rich. 5.There's a difference between wanting a better life and plain greed. I'm for broadening the mind, not broadening the wallet. The former empowers you to control your destiny and enables you to question, discover and improve your community. You shall inevitably lead a better life. 6.Owning expensive things is just materialistic. What is life if the only function of it is to gain material things?

1. Is his lifestyle therefore wrong? Is it also wrong for him to wish the same for others and actually campaign for it?
2. That one seems to be true but how does it change his wish for the economic emancipation of all young black South Africans?
3. Do you not want black South Africans to be ambitious?
4. Clearly you are anti-black progress. You don't like it when blacks get educated and use their education to create success and when they enjoy their success you call it excessive.
5. You obviously don't like seeing successful black South Africa. You going to live on vegetables your whole life.
6. It's only those who can't afford who say such.

zolzlolz you like arguing unrelated matters which makes your posts irrelevant of-topic junk. You probably a loner with too many philosophical thoughts that have no outlet except on this forum. In the real world life is all about capitalism even on the streets of Lagos you find informal capitalism where everybody is out to rip-off everybody else. It's not greed, it's just capitalising on those who can't negotiate, WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD.

1. Juju's aspirations are contradictory. He has his personal aspiration of self-enrichment, while he campaigns for the equal distribution of wealth for the masses. Clearly Juju has no intention of giving up his lifestyle and there is no possible way that he will be able to mantain his lifestyle if he were to follow dream of nationalisation. There is way in hell that poor blacks can get as rich as Juju from the distribution of wealth.
To be continued

Thou shall not lack and also thou shall not covet your neighbour's.What ever you do in life,be in control of it.And that i think is the key core off Malema's mission,to teach the people how to stand on their feet,how to have plenty.

Even the birds of the air have plenty.But because man is the most barbaric creature on the face of the planet,he chose to deprive his neighbour of priceless life.

Rise up my people.

3. That's strange. I recall you said something along the lines of,

paniki:

I feel sorry for some of you backward Africans. You will never discover anything new in your lifetime. All that you will do is gloat about blackmans discoveries centuries ago when blacks were still inquisitive unlike today. Whites and Asians are creating new technologies which we know how to use but very few know how they are made. And then we wonder why Africa is underdeveloped. It's because very few Africans have proper knowledge usually passed on from whiteman.

This will never happen if black people are to busy chasing money.

paniki:

4. Clearly you are anti-black progress. You don't like it when blacks get educated and use their education to create success and when they enjoy their success you call it excessive.

What is 'black progress'? Luxury GERMAN cars, FRENCH champagne, ITALIAN suits? Black people are just consumers. You think that black people are successful JUST because they have the WHITE MAN'S production to prove it? Just like YOU said we blacks know how to use white and asian technology, but we cannot CREATE IT. We aren't creating, because we choose to CHASE MONEY TO BUY THE WHITE MAN'S CREATION! I'm just repeating YOUR point.
To be continued

The act of life is the act of creation.Everything mutiplies,everything formulates from another.T

he man that can not sell cannot live and the one that cannot give cannot get.

paniki:

In the real world life is all about capitalism even on the streets of Lagos you find informal capitalism where everybody is out to rip-off everybody else. It's not greed, it's just capitalising on those who can't negotiate, WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD.

So please don't take the moral high ground on people like Cecil John Rhodes, or Sol Kerzner. These guys exploited black capital to get their wealth. It's just capitalism, right? But as you will know, there are people who will always lose out, hence Juju's campaign for 'economic emancipation' for black South Africans. You can also see worldwide that people are getting fed up with the capitalist corporations. Why the uproar? Because these corporations are exploiting people because they are driven by? GREED! So do you think that poor black people are going to tolerate Juju's 'success' while they are suffering? Are they going to accept that Juju is exploiting the black masses for his success? HELL NO! Read the history of those who decided to be greedy. They were met with the rage of the masses. FED UP, WITH NOTHING TO LOSE. NOW THAT'S THE REAL WORLD(and great history).

The real world is the world that belongs to the meek,,the world of justice,the equity,the world of wisdom and the world of inner freedom.

Can that world ever exist?Yes,it can only exist in one's consciousnees.

zolzlolz I'm now convinced that you don't know how to think properly.

This coming from a guy measuring self-worth by your material possessions. A guy owns 5 luxury cars and Paniki calls that 'black progress'. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Paniki, you are suffering from low self-esteem.

Progress is measured by an improvement in standard of living. You want black people to continue drinking unsafe river water, you want them to continue living in the dark of night, you want them to not study in their chosen field, you want them to not be ambitious, you want them not to acquire material things which make life easier, you want them not to enjoy the success they create. Shame on you zolzlolz, you don't want black people to progress.

The good thing is that your lousy view is in the minority. Everybody wants to own material things, coz these thing make our lives easier, comfortable and having them confirms the success we are creating.

Just so you know. JuJu was invited to the wedding by his rich black friend who was getting married. Malema didn't spend a cent

paniki:

Progress is measured by an improvement in standard of living. You want black people to continue drinking unsafe river water, you want them to continue living in the dark of night, you want them to not study in their chosen field, you want them to not be ambitious, you want them not to acquire material things which make life easier, you want them not to enjoy the success they create. Shame on you zolzlolz, you don't want black people to progress.

The good thing is that your lousy view is in the minority. Everybody wants to own material things, coz these thing make our lives easier, comfortable and having them confirms the success we are creating.

Just so you know. JuJu was invited to the wedding by his rich black friend who was getting married. Malema didn't spend a cent

maybe black people can drink safe water if tenderpreneurs can start to deliver.
http://www.citypress.co.za/SouthAfrica/News/Borehole-tender-shame-20100627
maybe black people can walk on safe roads and bridges without the fear of them washing way, if the tenderpreneurs start t deliver
http://www.citypress.co.za/SouthAfrica/News/Now-Malema-bungles-R8m-project-20100328
At least because now Malema has his money, he is an example of Black people making progress. But what progress do you see in Black South Africans who have no connections to the ANC? What about the poor blacks who are being exploited for Malema's 'progress'? The friend who invited Juju to the wedding is a fellow tenderpreneur. He is in charge of a tender that builds houses in Limpopo. It's nice to see that he has also made 'progress' so he can have his nice R10 million wedding. Who knows, maybe the houses he has been building are caving in as we speak. But he's made 'progress' for himself, 'progress' for the black race. Lastly if Malema was really a champion for the poor, he would have questioned his friend on why so much money from that wedding couldn't have gone to a poor child to go to university, or why it couldn't be used to build hospitals. Well, it's his 'hard earned' money so why should others bother him. if that's the case, black people should stop this harping on about 'Ubuntu', the concept of also improving the community around you is completely foreign to black people now. Malema cannot have his cake and eat it too?
To the bolded: this coming from someone who said

paniki:

Black people are generaly dumb.

If the majority of black people are dumb, then I'm lucky to be in the minority.

zolzlolz I'm a black South African. Do you think I'm poor? All of my friends are black South Africans. Do you think they are poor? Just because you only see Malema's success and Kunene's success doesn't mean that they are the only successful black South Africans. You don't know how to think, you deserve to be put into the dumb category.

@zolzlolz
I don"t know whats your issues with the ANC are but I can advise you to read studies that were done regarding the growing numbers of black middle class.Majority of this people are not connected to the ANC elites they are hard working people,who are succeding beyond the challenges that they face from racist corporate world of South Africa.

The only problem with people like you is that you want a black man to feel guilty when he enjoy his hard earned cash,whereas it is normal in your view when a whiteman do the same.

I've friend from other races and I can tell you that they're living large but no one dare questions their life style,Not even you Zol,like where do you think Zille got money for her plastic surgeries? .

RSA:

@zolzlolz
I don"t know whats your issues with the ANC are but I can advise you to read studies that were done regarding the growing numbers of black middle class.Majority of this people are not connected to the ANC elites they are hard working people,who are succeding beyond the challenges that they face from racist corporate world of South Africa.

The only problem with people like you is that you want a black man to feel guilty when he enjoy his hard earned cash,whereas it is normal in your view when a whiteman do the same.

I've friend from other races and I can tell you that they're living large but no one dare questions their life style,Not even you Zol,like where do you think Zille got money for her plastic surgeries? .

Zozloz has taken the words right outta my mouth. A South African who can see through the BS. I am speechless.

RSA

can you show the statistics of "the growing black middle class" that are not somehow connected to collecting BEE hand out money. PLEASE!!!