Human Settlements Minister and mining magnate Tokyo Sexwale is not a capitalist because he only owns shares in companies and does not “control the means of production”, according to ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.
Malema shared his understanding of Marxist ideology with sceptical US diplomats in a meeting in his home province of Limpopo during the run-up to the ANC’s 2007 conference in Polokwane when Jacob Zuma replaced Thabo Mbeki as party chief.
The conversation between the unnamed US embassy political officers and Malema – then the youth league’s Limpopo provincial secretary – is revealed in a cable from the Pretoria embassy to Washington on May 11, 2007, which has just been released by WikiLeaks.
The cable, signed by then US ambassador Eric Bost, says the “frank and friendly” Malema told the diplomats that Limpopo’s youth league was the largest and was “100 percent behind Zuma” eight months before Polokwane.
“Malema never explained why he or the league support Zuma, but did admit that Zuma would likely not have been picked up by the ANCYL ‘if Mbeki hadn’t gone after him’. Malema stated matter of factly that Zuma is ‘a victim of a conspiracy similar to what would happen in American politics’.
“When asked what triggered the loss of support from the ANCYL, he replied that ‘Mbeki thinks he’s too clever for all of us and he won’t engage with us’.
“In a subsequent aside, Malema admitted that ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula did not want to support Zuma during the rape trial but that the regional leadership insisted, arguing that if the youth league defended Zuma on corruption charges, they could defend him on rape charges since both acts are immoral. He also hinted that Mbalula was told his position depended on his support for Zuma.
“When asked about the possibility of a woman successor, Malema dismissed the idea, saying South Africa needs a ‘man who is ahead on issues, but who can walk with the masses’.
“He also dismissed Tokyo Sexwale, saying he had his chance.
“When asked if Sexwale’s involvement in big business soured the ANCYL, he said that he is not against the rich, just capitalists, but that Sexwale is not a capitalist ‘because he only owns shares of companies, not actual means of production’.”
To this the author of the cable commented: “Malema wore a sweatshirt with Nike emblazoned on it and also complained about the bank’s right to repossess his Audi if he does not make payments.
“When asked what the league planned on doing if Zuma went to jail, he said they would accept the decision and throw their support behind ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe. However, he added that though ‘Motlanthe is brilliant, you can’t understand anything he says’.”
In a later cable, written in November last year and signed by the current ambassador, Donald Gips, the embassy tries to assess the place of Malema – as president of the youth league – within the ruling alliance.
Detailing many of Malema’s controversial utterances, the author asks: “Where is Zuma on some of these issues?” – including Malema’s call for the nationalisation of mines. “On none of these issues did Zuma make a statement.” - Cape Times
