From best friends to enemies, fighting for the soul of the ANC!

“We are prepared to kill and die for Zuma,” these were the words of ANC Youth League president Julius Malema in 2008 pledging his undying support for his then political best friend Jacob Zuma. This was the time Zuma had multiple corruption charges hanging over his head and the two were the best of friends in the South African political front.

In the very same year, Malema was the champion of the Zuma camp that successfully pushed out of the Union Buildings then State president Thabo Mbeki. The poor Mbeki was sacked as president in September 2008, a few months prior the end of his term in office, all thanks to the outspoken Malema who went as far as threatening the ANC National Working Committee members that “if the ANC NWC does not recall Mbeki, we will recall them.”

Then following the ANC’s victory in the 2009 general elections, Zuma became SA first citizen and couldn’t stop praising Malema that he even declared him the RSA president in the making. Things started turning sour early 2010 when Malema realised Zuma was not the man he thought he was. Malema then started comparing Zuma to his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, the very same man Malema despised in 2008 that he couldn’t stand seeing him finish the last seven months of his term in the Union Buildings.

It is during this period that Malema gained huge popularity for advocating for “economic freedom in our lifetime ideology,” an idea that Zuma did not buy, nor support in the first place. The militant Malema ran riot saying what he wants, when he wants and verbally attacked all Zuma administration ministers who opposed his nationalisation of mines ideology.

Then came the ANC National General Council in September 2010, where Zuma in his opening political address speech deeply emphasized on a need to tighten disciplinary measures against “ill-disciplined cadres in the ANC,” an indirect slap in the wrist on the firebrand ANCYL president. A few weeks after the ANC NGC, addressing ANCYL members in a rally in the Free State, Malema publicly condemned leaders who have more than one wife. Mind you Zuma is a polygamist who at the time had four wives.

From this incident, cracks between Zuma and Malema’s strong political relationship started showing. Then early 2011, the ANC Disciplinary committee charged Malema of bringing the party into disrepute by comparing Zuma to Mbeki. Malema was found guilty and penalized with a suspended sentence. Then around mid-2011, following Malema’s re-election as ANCYL president, Malema made controversial “regime change in Botswana” comments, adding that ever since the departure of Mbeki in the Union Buildings, the “African agenda” has lost its relevance.

Malema was again charged for breach of ANC constitution and was duly summoned to appear before the party’s DC. Then early in 2012, the ANC National Disciplinary Committee found Malema guilty and suspended his membership in the ANC for five years. Malema appealed his suspension, only to get an even harsher one as he was then expelled from the party. Malema again appealed his expulsion, but realising that his time in the ANC was running out, the controversial Youth League leader lashed out at Zuma and even called him a dictator and stranger to democracy.

Malema’s political woes continued and Zuma realising that the Mangaung conference is fast approaching and his need for more friends than enemies to lobby for his re-election in the conference, the ANC gaged and censored Malema to secure Zuma’s re-election in Mangaung. The final appeal process for Malema’s expulsion was concluded on the late hours of April 24 and the ANC National Disciplinary Committee of Appeals confirmed Malema's expulsion from the oldest liberation movement in the African continent.

Now the biggest question on everybody’s mind is whether or not Zuma should celebrate and rest assured of another term in Luthuli House because his biggest enemy has been eliminated out of the picture? My answer is Zuma shouldn’t celebrate as yet because if he suffers a defeat in Mangaung, Malema might make a surprise come back to the ANC and Zuma might run a risk of being removed in the Union Buildings the same way Mbeki was removed three years ago.

That is the reality of ANC politics in recent times, forever unpredictable. Who will come out victorious between the two? Only time will tell, but sure case is one must fall because you cannot two bulls in the same kraal. One thing I’m certain of though; Mangaung will separate boys from men.