JULIUS Malema, president of the ANC Youth League, is anything but stupid.
He is an outstanding leader and a particularly good orator. He is brilliant at stirring up people whose background and circumstances differ entirely from his, because he knows how to appeal to what they hold dear.
Yes, he is impulsive and at times irresponsible in his utterances. But that's of course characteristic of most politicians, especially at the beginning of their careers. That is the reason for labels like Young Turks and Young Lions.
He frequently bends the truth conspicuously, but not more than what other circles may regard as part of political histrionics. There is no doubt that he can fight dirty, but he's not the only one. Weaklings don't last long in the world from which he comes.
Last week's column about Malema and his plans to nationalise the country's mines elicited wide reaction, especially on Fin24.com. About 220 readers responded with their comments on the site. Sake24 also received a number of letters.
Thank you for those. Internet debates are often rough and at times disappointingly superficial. In an ethnically divided country it is probably to be expected that there would also be racial undertones, but this time it seems that most of those responding missed some of the more important points that the column strove to emphasise.
South Africa's mining and agricultural industries have played a decisive role in making the country the biggest and most powerful economy in Africa.
But there are other countries on the continent that have just as much or even more mineral wealth than South Africa under the ground, and better agricultural potential on the surface - but which are not in the same class as this country economically.
Rich man, poor man
Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are two examples. There are probably more.
The difference is that our industries have had cheap labour - the migrant labour system for the mines, and the homeless who lost their land rights and had no option but to sell their labour to farmers.
This has had enormous social consequences, for which we are today paying the price. In the process two South Africas were created - one for the rich and one for the poor. The wealthy generally have no concept of what it means to eat, live and sleep in the "other world".
Malema, the son of a domestic worker, comes from that world and is its leading mouthpiece.
One should pay less attention to what he says and consider, rather, how he says it. His value to the ANC is not in provoking whites, but in pacifying those on the "other side".
That's why Malema has so much support - even among young black intellectuals and so-called black diamonds.
Sipho Ngidi responded as follows to last week's column:
"'Black diamond' is a label coined by ruthless white capitalists to separate black people from their own by creating the false sense of difference.
"The so-called black diamonds (which I'm supposed to be one of them) are to behave differently to the stupid, uneducated, poor, black mob.
"Well, some of us are awake and we will forever identify with the mob even as we occupy high offices in corporate SA. All those who live and work this land shall share in its resources otherwise no one will!"
If one looks past the anger reflected in this comment, it appears that a certain singleness of mind is taking root among the youth. Those who have made progress are looking over their shoulders back at those who have been less fortunate.
Num will say nay to nationalisation
Mining in most developing countries is used as a source of revenue for the state - whether from taxes or dividends where governments own shares in mining companies, or a combination of the two. This often happens through nationalisation; just ask companies like Metorex and Randgold Resources, which are mining in other African countries.
In these countries the government interest is generally not above 15% or 20%. In South America this is also fairly common, but there the government's stake is sometimes much higher. Malema wants government to own 60% of every mining company.
This is of course excessive, but young people naturally always aim for the stars in the hope of reaching the treetops.
Has anyone ever asked the National Union of Mineworkers (Num), that breeding ground for ANC leaders, what it thinks of nationalisation? Malema will probably struggle to get his proposed resolution past the union. And if Num does not support it, there is very little likelihood that the resolution would be put forward at an ANC congress.
Not everyone is happy with the current mining charter. It is being reviewed this year and changes are likely.
One of these is the extent to which mining communities benefit from the industry. This is a sore point, and Malema realises it. At its 2007 conference in Polokwane the ANC also expressed concern on this point.
It will probably make mining investors nervous, but then this is South Africa. We have a few issues to sort out among ourselves.
If after 15 years of democracy we haven't yet shown the investor community that we can resolve the issues in an orderly fashion, they had better go and develop mines in the DRC or Senegal.
- Fin24.com