Of eulogies to Winnie Mandela and Malema’s populist leadership

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was buried last week after succumbing to a long illness at Johannesburg hospital at 81 years. The funeral was declared a state funeral by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.
The funeral service held at Orlando Stadium and lasted more than six hours was attended by several African heads of state, former presidents, international dignitaries and 40,000 people from different political spectrums who mourned the anti-apartheid African National Congress (ANC) revolutionary freedom fighter.
President Ramaphosa in his eulogy described Mama Winnie as “an African woman who in her attitude, her words and her actions defied the very premise of apartheid ideology. Defiant and articulate, she exposed the lie of apartheid loudly without apology, she spoke truth to power.”
Internationally Mama Winnie was known and loved for the role she played in making sure apartheid became a global issue. Nationally she was the popular face and mouthpiece that was relentlessly vocal against the regime.
As expected, most of the speeches were full of praise for Mama Winnie. Her ‘political son’ Julius Malema, also a member of parliament and leader of South Africa’s third largest opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), delivered a strikingly dramatic, electrifying and memorable speech.
Malema, a 37-year-old controversial politician, spat fire as he attacked political opponents and told them that people will never forget their manipulative and vindictive actions that jeopardised Mama Winnie and her children’s safety, and damaged her reputation globally during the apartheid struggle.
“Mama Nomzamo, some of those who sold you to the apartheid regime are here. And what is funny, Mama, is that they are crying the loudest, more than all of us who cared for you, United Democratic Front (UDF) cabal is here and some members of the ANC Women’s league (ANCWL) who rejected you, called you a criminal at a press conference and dissociated themselves from you, Mama you never told me how to treat them when they come here. I am waiting for a signal mama.”
“We see you in your beautiful suits, betrayers! Sell outs! We see you.”
Malema’s populist leadership style, vocal prowess and hard-hitting words against prominent ANC leaders excited people not only at Orlando stadium, but worldwide. Some people have accused Malema of being an opportunistic populist capitalising on events for private gain with inaccurate account.
They say Malema was only six years old when the UDF and ANC leadership in the 1980s attempted to discipline Winnie Mandela, others like party’s national chair, Dali Mpofu, who was 25 years at the time, would have more reliable information about the controversies.
According to political historian John Abromeit of State University of New York, populist political leaders mobilise aggrieved and under-privileged masses against institutions and governments. It starts with defending and uniting the poor against the corrupt dominant elites. Worthy of note is that Malema’s populist style of leadership in 2016 led to anti-immigration policies, border controls and jobs protection that lead to the United Kingdom (UK) referendum to leave the European Union.
In 2017, the appeal of populist leadership continued in France with the surprising election of eccentric president Emmanuel Macron. In Uganda by divergence, populist political leadership might not successfully exist without constant free money to give away.
In an environment where money only revolves around the powerful elite, individual interests prevails. Survival of the fittest is harshly the order of the day. In the Pearl of Africa, Malema’s populist leadership style only exists elusively in thought.