Red beret, red cap: A spinning populist coin

Julius Malema and Donald Trump are alarmingly similar - charismatic leaders' of questionable character whose interventions appeal to emotions but won't fix the economy

- Armand Bam

When Donald Trump launched his 2016 campaign, he electrified a disillusioned electorate with four words: “Make America Great Again.” That bright red cap became a symbol of defiance against globalism, multiculturalism and liberal consensus.

Thousands of miles away, in a vastly different context, Julius Malema dons a red beret and declares South Africa for South Africans. He promises land without compensation, nationalisation of financial institutions and the dismantling of economic powers.

The context and audience may differ but are we watching the same populist theatrics under different lights?

It would be tempting to see these two figures as ideological opposites. One draws from the language of conservative nationalism, the other from radical, postcolonial liberation.

But peel back the surface and a more unsettling truth emerges that despite their differences, both movements are powered by a similar engine, one that thrives on discontent, sharp binaries and the relentless search for someone to blame.

In both cases, the nation is portrayed as having been betrayed by elites, hijacked by outsiders and stripped of its rightful identity. The red cap and the red beret become more than symbols; they are uniforms of resistance. But resistance to what? And in service of whom?

The economic message, though packaged differently, often rests on the same populist foundations that the system has failed citizens and that only bold, uncompromising intervention can restore justice.

Although that argument has merit, especially in the wake of rising inequality and deepening mistrust in democratic institutions, the solutions offered are often blunt, simplistic interventions that appeal to the emotions but seldom hold up to the complexities of modern economies.