‘Time for business to confront the likes of Malema’

It is time South African business to confront Julius Malema rather than sit back worrying about the impact of his controversial speeches on the economic situation in the country. Political analyst and commentator Harald Pakendorf said Malema, while controversial, could not really negatively affect business. “Even the frightening and pure racist remarks he makes cannot really impact our business as nothing can come of it. They cannot take land without paying for it or nationalise the mines as that would mean changing the constitution and to do so the ruling party would need a two thirds majority which they don’t have.” He said it was, however, time for people to confront the likes of Malema as his continuous remarks could affect investors in the long run. “We have to ask ourselves how these young lions are affording their lifestyles. If one looks at the big businesses that were sponsoring the recent ANC Youth League conference there is much to be questioned. Why are these big Harald Pakendorf ... ‘They cannot take land without paying for it.’ companies aligning themselves with these people?” He said South Africa could learn much from Botswana whose civil servants recently called for a 15% pay increase after three years of not getting any pay hike. “The president offered them 5% which the workers denounced insisting on 15%. They were then offered 3% or nothing. They took the 3%.” He said this was in stark contrast to the South African civil servants who received pay increases of 12% during the recession when the country could ill afford to give raises. “Only when we get the basics right and put people in their places does the country stand a chance of stopping corruption.”