Malema's focus on violence is misdirected and harmful

The EFF leader could introduce positive changes for his party's constituents far more effectively if he were to focus his attention on winning battles in Parliament

- By Ebrahim Harvey

No political leader in South Africa has threatened violence as a political weapon as much as the leader of the EFF, Julius Malema, has. In fact, there appears to be an inverse correlation between the militancy and radicalism he regularly espouses and projects, and the frequent and sometimes even macabre threats in his public speeches.

It was therefore not surprising when Malema was convicted recently for the unlawful possession and discharging of a firearm in public. In this instance, he was charged with firing shots from an assault rifle at an event to celebrate the EFF's fifth anniversary in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape in 2018.

Expectedly, Malema immediately appealed against the sentence. He will return to court in January 2026 for presentencing procedures. But this threat of violence has gone on for many years and represents a serious political problem, which none of our supposed political analysts and commentators has properly confronted.

The threats of violence from Malema have gone on for far too long, especially in a vibrant and vigorous constitutional democracy that enables political parties and leaders to assertively espouse and defend any views and ideas without the threats of violence and/or resorting to it.

We often saw in the past how EFF leaders and members of Parliament, including Malema, disrupted proceedings and created chaos in the National Assembly when they were dissatisfied. But there has been a distinct shift in their conduct in Parliament over the past one to two years, which has been a positive development.