Reservoir Hyenas

Looking at the photos of his court appearance, I reckon Julius Malema might just be the greatest politician South Africa has ever seen.

Like a Tarantino creation, he strutted into the Johannesburg High Court flanked by automatic weapon wielding bodyguards, afraid that the Afriforum tree-huggers might pop a cap in his taxpayer-fattened ass. Or maybe he was afraid that the “boers” he so wanted to “shoot” would do the job.

The case of hate speech has been brought against him by human rights group, Afriforum, for singing Ayesaba Amagwala, known as the ‘Kill the Boer’ song.

There were no angry Afrikaans protesters. No placards saying “kill the doos”. No “bloody agents” with “rubbish in [their] trousers” calling for his thick head. There were only ANCYL supporters out for some Malema magic – better than old Steven Seagal reruns on SABC any day.

But he knew that already, and calling him thick-headed is wrong.

Malema is smart enough to know that by making him a martyr would only make his legend greater. And without any real threat, he knows he needs to create a threat in the minds of his supporters. Even if the threat is a fiction, it still gives him power.

He is right to call the prosecution “Mickey Mouses”. Compared to the movie star that is Malema, they are lowly television continuity announcers.

Like Jacob Zuma, singing his machine gun song and dancing his way into power, Malema is a showman of the highest order.

He knows that the South African political arena is a circus; a show not meant to inform or educate, but to entertain. He knows the public is becoming bored with just comedy and drama, and in a successful effort to score points with his audience, has added an element of action to it all.

As long as he keeps his audience entertained they will keep watching, keep supporting.

I believe this boy will be president one day. And when that happens, we can expect the horror movie to begin.