Is Julius Malema a prophet, or just a young, sharp politician able to spot trouble long before it arrives?
That question has resurfaced after Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema’s Workers’ Day address, where he warned that South Africa’s tensions could move beyond anti-foreigner sentiment and eventually spill into divisions among South Africans themselves.
Barely hours after his speech, a video from Vosloorus showed a tense moment during a community engagement linked to the disappearance of spaza shop owner Mazwi Kubheka, who was last seen about a month ago.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni was part of a government delegation engaging residents over the case. In the footage, protesters can be heard interrupting proceedings and demanding that the minister speak isiZulu. Ntshavheni responds that she is unable to speak the language, after which parts of the crowd become more disruptive.
The engagement, intended to address community concerns over Kubheka’s disappearance, unfolded against a backdrop of rising frustration and heightened emotions in the area.
During his Workers’ Day rally, Malema had warned that anger directed at foreign nationals could eventually shift inward, creating divisions among South Africans along lines of language, province and identity.
“When they are done with foreigners, they will come for you,” he told supporters, warning that people could be told where they belong based on their background.
While the full context of the Vosloorus video continues to be debated, the timing has drawn attention to Malema’s earlier remarks, with some observers pointing to the emergence of identity-based tensions shortly after his speech.
