72 Facts About Julius Malema

Julius Sello Malema was born on 3 March 1981 and is a South African politician.

Julius Malema is the founder and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, a communist political party known for the red berets and military-style outfits worn by its members.

Julius Malema rose to national prominence as an outspoken supporter of Jacob Zuma, then-ANC president and later President of South Africa.

In 2012, Julius Malema was charged with fraud, money laundering and racketeering.

Julius Malema is a controversial and divisive figure in South African politics: he has been favourably described by both Zuma and the Premier of Limpopo Province, Cassel Mathale, as the "future leader" of South Africa.

Julius Malema's family is Northern Sotho, and his mother was a domestic worker and a single parent.

Julius Malema has claimed to have received military training at the age of 13 but this claim has been disputed for lack of corroborating witnesses.

In 1995, Julius Malema joined the ANC Youth League and became the chairperson of his local branch in Seshego and of the regional branch in broader Capricorn.

Julius Malema was elected as national president of COSAS in 2001.

Julius Malema's candidacy had the support of outgoing league president Fikile Mbalula, while outgoing league secretary-general Sihle Zikalala supported the more moderate candidate, Saki Mofokeng.

Julius Malema received 1,833 votes against Mofokeng's 1,696 votes and was elected alongside a slate of allies, including Andile Lungisa as deputy president.

Julius Malema later criticised the "unbecoming conduct" shown by delegates at the conference.

Ahead of the 2009 general election, Julius Malema was nominated to stand for election as a Member of Parliament but declined on the grounds that Parliament was "for old people".

Julius Malema later explained that he had turned on Zuma when he realised Zuma was incapable of fulfilling the left-wing policy agenda that had secured his election as ANC president in 2007; according to Julius Malema, Zuma took a harsher stance towards the league only after it rejected him.

News24 said that both statements were clearly directed at Julius Malema, who had "bad-mouthed almost everyone in the leadership of the governing alliance" and most recently had attacked Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in the media.

Second, from 2 to 5 April 2010, Julius Malema led an ANC Youth League delegation on a controversial working visit to Zimbabwe.

Julius Malema met with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and other ZANU-PF politicians, and in public statements he was complimentary of ZANU-PF, comparing it favourably to Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change.

Julius Malema's statements sparked fears in some quarters that the ANC would attempt to imitate ZANU-PF's Land reform in Zimbabwe programme; there were concerns that Malema's partisan comments would undermine ongoing efforts by Zuma's government to broker a political settlement between ZANU-PF and the MDC.

City Press reported that ANC officials had asked the Youth League to postpone its trip, though Julius Malema told the media that Zuma had personally endorsed it.

At a media briefing about his visit to Zimbabwe, Julius Malema mocked the MDC for having offices in affluent Sandton and became enraged when Fisher interjected to point out that Julius Malema himself lived in Sandton.

The press conference was later remembered as a turning point in the relationship between Zuma and Julius Malema, constituting the strongest rebuke yet offered by the former of the latter.

Julius Malema distanced himself from Malema's remarks about Zimbabwe, reiterating the ANC's commitment to impartiality in the Zimbabwean peace process, and said that Malema's treatment of Jonah Fisher was "regrettable and unacceptable, regardless of any provocation on [Fisher's] part".

The charges were pursued in the ANC's National Disciplinary Committee, then chaired by Derek Hanekom and staffed by various ANC leaders viewed as unsympathetic towards Julius Malema; Julius Malema was represented in the proceedings by ANC Treasurer-General Mathews Phosa.

In May 2010, Julius Malema reached a plea bargain with the disciplinary committee.

Julius Malema was required to issue an unconditional public apology to Zuma, the ANC, and the public for having publicly undermined Zuma in the aftermath of Zuma's rebuke.

Julius Malema defended Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene, who had allowed Semenya to compete at the championships even after being informed that a gender test had identified her as an intersex person.

Julius Malema argued that Chuene's actions required no apology and that he "was right to lie [about the gender test] to protect her".

Julius Malema criticised Deputy Sports Minister Gert Oosthuizen for calling for Chuene's dismissal, and he harshly criticised the International Association of Athletics Federations for attempting to "impose" on South Africans the concept of intersex, which he argued did not exist in Pedi culture.

In October 2009, Julius Malema threatened to "mobilise society" against Nedbank if it did not retract its decision to withdraw its sponsorship of ASA, suggesting that the decision was linked to ASA's support for Semenya.

Julius Malema is a vocal advocate of nationalising South African mines.

Julius Malema first called for nationalisation in July 2009 at a Youth League rally in Krugersdorp, and he argued that the Freedom Charter entailed a pro-nationalisation platform.

Julius Malema then advocated the seizure of land without compensation and the removal of the "willing buyer, willing seller" principle.

In early 2010, Julius Malema urged ANC Youth League members to join the South African National Defence Force, and said that there were plans for the Youth League leadership to join the reservist programme.

Nonetheless, at the Youth League's national elective conference in Midrand on 17 June 2011, Julius Malema was elected to a second term as league president.

Julius Malema stood unopposed after his presumptive opponent, Lebogang Maile, declined a nomination to stand against him.

On 31 July 2011, at a briefing following a Boksburg meeting of the ANC Youth League's National Executive Committee, Julius Malema made a series of controversial comments about the political situation in neighbouring Botswana.

On 22 August 2011, the ANC announced that Julius Malema had been charged with bringing the ANC into disrepute and would face internal disciplinary proceedings.

The violence was condemned by senior ANC leaders and Julius Malema addressed the crowd to appeal for restraint.

Hanekom said that Julius Malema's remarks had been "reckless and baseless" and had "damaged the standing of the ANC and South Africa's international reputation", though he was found not guilty on separate charges of racism and inciting hatred.

Julius Malema publicly expressed his intention to appeal the ruling and disparaged the disciplinary process as politically motivated and an attempt to "settle scores".

The committee said that, in addition to being a repeat offender, Julius Malema had shown no remorse and had refused to accept the ANC's decisions, suggesting that "the likelihood of him respecting the ANC Constitution is remote".

On 24 April 2012, Julius Malema exhausted the appeals process when the chairperson of the internal appeals committee, Cyril Ramaphosa, confirmed that his expulsion had been upheld.

Julius Malema made controversial remarks during a visit to Zimbabwe in October 2012, saying that white people in Africa had appropriated mineral resources belonging to indigenous people and that compensating those affected by land expropriation would be tantamount to "thanking them with money for killing our people".

In June 2013, Julius Malema began to canvas for his political party called the Economic Freedom Fighters.

At the party's inaugural national elective conference in Bloemfontein in December 2014, Julius Malema was elected, unopposed, as president of the EFF.

Floyd Shivambu, who was ejected from the ANC Youth League at the same time as Julius Malema, was elected his deputy.

Julius Malema was sworn in as a Member of the National Assembly on 21 May 2014.

Julius Malema was re-elected to the seat in the 2019 general election and has sat on various portfolio committees.

Julius Malema and several other EFF members were ejected from Zuma's 2015 State of the Nation address after they loudly insisted that they be permitted to question Zuma about the Nkandlagate scandal; Malema said in response that South Africa was a police state.

Julius Malema was forcibly ejected again during Zuma's State of the Nation addresses in 2016 and 2017.

On 23 August 2018, Julius Malema spoke out against the white genocide conspiracy theory and was critical of comments made by United States President Donald Trump, after he had instructed his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to investigate South African farm attacks.

Julius Malema made an allegation that "there's a group of white right-wingers who are being trained by Jews in Pretoria to be snipers".

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies subsequently issued a statement denouncing Julius Malema, calling his comments "typical of his attention-seeking behaviour" and "aimed at creating racial tension".

Julius Malema repeated the sentiment in 2022, saying that he could not "guarantee I can't or won't call for the slaughter of white people" at some point in the future.

In 2018, at another rally, Julius Malema referred to plans to remove Athol Trollip from his position as mayor of Nelson Mandela Municipality as plans for "cutting the throat of whiteness".

The South African Human Rights Commission condemned the post and said they would sue Julius Malema for spreading hate speech.

Julius Malema stated that his wife rented the property and laid a complaint against the media for publishing the location of his home.

Julius Malema later applauded the government's decision not to give de Klerk a state funeral.

Julius Malema issued a statement that the ANCYL would continue to "expose" journalists.

Julius Malema countered that the Limpopo property deal did not go through and that he had settled all his debts based on the 2014 agreement, and owed nothing.

Julius Malema entered into a further deal to pay back the money this deal collapsed in March 2015, after Julius Malema failed to pay.

Non-profit organisation Sonke Gender Justice filed a complaint in the Equality Court of South Africa and, on 15 March 2010, Julius Malema was convicted of hate speech.

Julius Malema was required to issue an unconditional apology and pay a fine of R50,000 to a centre for abused women.

In March 2010, at a rally at the University of Johannesburg, Julius Malema sang parts of "Dubul' ibhunu", an anti-apartheid song whose lyrics mean "Shoot the Boer" in Nguni languages.

Julius Malema defied the ANC directive and indeed made "Dubul' ibhunu" his "signature tune", one of several instances of insubordination which was raised during ANC disciplinary proceedings against him in April 2010.

On 12 September 2011, Julius Malema was convicted of hate speech.

The ruling carried no criminal penalty but Julius Malema was required to pay costs.

In November 2022, the court dismissed Afriforum's complaint, finding that Julius Malema's singing the song did not constitute hate speech.

Julius Malema is known for his very controversial statements and has become a frequent target for lampooning.

Julius Malema was listed in Times Least Influential People of 2010, whereas conversely Forbes magazine named him as one of the "10 Youngest Power Men in Africa" in September 2011.

Julius Malema married his long-time girlfriend in a private ceremony under heavy security in his hometown Seshego in 2014.

Julius Malema has a son named Ratanang from a previous relationship with Maropeng Ramohlale.