An Inconvenient Youth: Julius Malema and the 'new' ANC

Description

Julius Malema has risen to prominence and power with meteoric speed. From impoverished origins in a Limpopo township, he has, before the age of 30, amassed the political and economic power to command the entire youth wing of the ANC, and to own several substantial luxury homes. An Inconvenient Youth traces Malema's life, from his early years in Limpopo to his joining the student structures of the ANC in the early 1990s, and his rapid rise through the party's ranks to become the president of the ANC Youth League in 2008. Forde analyses the sources of Malema's wealth, exploring his seamless approach to business and politics. She situates Malema within the ANC's history and shows in unprecedented detail how he has perfected the practices that characterise a new 'struggle' in which individuals extend their personal wealth and political power at the expense of the people. This insightful, meticulously researched account explores how a brave child has grown to become a grave inconvenience, not only to the ANC, but also, due to his style of politics, to South Africa's fledgling democracy.

Fiona Forde is an author and journalist who covers politics and current affairs. She is currently based in South Africa where she has worked for some of the country's main newspapers. She has also collaborated with leading investigative teams in exposing corruption among South Africa's political elite. She was born in Galway, Ireland.