South Africa’s most recent presidential and parliamentary elections were quite competitive and in some cases acrimonious. They were meant to be. After 30 years of majority rule in the rainbow nation, majority of south African people felt that the African National Congress, ANC had sold them out and probably down the river, with what they describe as the party’s dismal performance in government. There have been some contentious issues left unresolved going back to the end of apartheid. Land redistribution and economic empowerment of the majority remain unattained among many issues, with the ANC dominated government.
The ANC over the last one and half decade witnessed internal wrangling due to irreconcilable differences among its members which led to the likes of Julius Malema its former youth leader leaving the party and forming a new party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, EFF, mirroring his own ideological beliefs. Julius Malema believes that the ANC has shed its socialist clothing and sold its soul to the capitalist god. Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s third president post apartheid got embroiled in corruption scandal, which ultimately led to his political demise.
When President Cyril Ramaphosa was elected, the ANC was practically living on borrowed time with its image dented in the eyes of its supporters. Julius Malema’s party, the EFF, had embedded itself into the hearts of the people and the previously regarded minority party, Democratic Alliance had gained more ground from black voters. These were the scenarios that preceded the 2024 elections, with the loss of ANC’s majority for the first time, post apartheid.
The opening of the South African parliament after a very heated electoral process, afforded one of the country’s colourful political actors, such as Julius Malema the opportunity of participating in the ritual of addressing the institution. During the session, Malema didn’t hold back but rather reminded his audience and colleagues why they are in parliament, as representatives of all South Africans. Julius Malema stated that it’s not going to be a walk in the park for the government as it will always be held to account at all times. Malema reiterated his position of working for the interest of South Africans while promising to partner with the government.
Against the backdrop of Julius Malema having the platform to project his ideas and express himself, there has been the pouring of praise on him for being resolute and true to his course. Nigerians are simply fascinated if not dumbfounded about the degree of freedom on display in the South African political space.
The Julius Malema experience in South Africa puts into perspective, the Nigerian dilemma. While South Africa went through a bitter struggle to overthrow apartheid and white minority rule, Nigeria also faced a difficult post independence struggle leading to a brutal civil war.
In South Africa a delicate but uneven balance exists between political control and economic dominance. However there is relatively a freer political space with what appears as independent tiers of government. The police in South Africa also don’t exist under the strict shadow of the government in power.
The return to democracy in Nigeria has seen the deepening of the monetisation of political power and politics. This has made it very difficult for politicians to emerge through the grassroots selective process. A grassroots politician like Julius Malema has a very slim chance of emerging in today’s Nigerian political landscape. Why? Julius Malema is a firebrand populist oriented politician. Apart from being a man of the people in the strict sense of the word, he is also a socialist by orientation. Nigeria, historically has only managed to pursue the social democratic path, without being strictly socialist. However, largely Nigeria’s politics is conservative with emphasis on the market economy.
At the dawn of the return to democracy in 1999, the country re-embraced the presidential system of government, which has been touted to be quite expensive for a developing country with a very large population.
The presidential system throws up a large number of political appointments, that are not necessarily elected and end up as a drain in terms of the cost of running the bureaucracy. To keep the political arrangement the way it currently is, has been maintained through the process of the weaponisation of poverty in the country.
What makes Nigeria’s political economy different from the South African terrain, is that while South Africa promotes the market economy, its politics is relatively independent of the business constituency manipulation. This is the reason why Julius Malema’s political growth took a steady trajectory up until when he became a force to reckon with, with a major political party in tow. In Nigeria, the political class are easily mixed up with the business class and this leaves the majority of the citizenry exposed and vulnerable.
The political setting in Nigeria as it is presently, does not provide an ideal incubation for truly independent political actors who represent the real interests of majority of Nigerians. If Julius Malema found himself shipwrecked politically in Nigeria, he would be a fish out of water, if not in a political wilderness.
Olugbenga Adebanjo
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