* Rebel Malema uses labour strife to feed political comeback
* His canny populism shows up slow-footed Zuma leadership
* Rattled ANC establishment flays him as “opportunist”
* Malema anti-Zuma drive taps into ANC leadership battle
By Jon Herskovitz
JOHANNESBURG, Sept 14 (Reuters) – South Africa’s ANC rebel
Julius Malema has charged back from the political wilderness,
seizing on a mines labour conflict to bait and harry President
Jacob Zuma before an end-year leadership conference that will
test stability in Africa’s biggest economy.
While Zuma has dithered over the industrial unrest that led
to the Aug. 16 police killing of 34 striking miners, Malema is
feeding his comeback with the discontent among South Africa’s
poor and unemployed that poses the biggest threat to the ANC’s
governing alliance since apartheid ended in 1994.
Wearing his trademark beret, the former ANC Youth League
leader cast out by the ruling party for indiscipline this year
has driven his upscale SUV into the heart of the dusty,
scrub-covered platinum mining belt. Here, he heard the
grievances of angry strikers carrying spears, machetes and
clubs.
“Where are our leaders? Our leaders have sold out South
Africa. Our leaders are sleeping with capitalists. Our leaders
are enjoying dinners with capital. They have forgotten about
us,” the 31-year-old, popularly known as “Juju”, told a raucous
crowd of protesting miners this week.
Continued…
