Julius Malema
- Birth name: Julius Sello Malema
- Born: 3 March 1981
- Place of birth: Seshego, Limpopo, South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Main activity: Politician
Bio
Julius Malema is a South African politician who serves as a Member of Parliament and the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a left-wing party that he established in 2013. He previously held the position of President of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League from 2008 until he was expelled from the party in 2012. He is known for his fiery, outspoken nature and inspiring oratory.
He has been a vocal advocate of proposals to nationalise South Africa’s mining industry and expropriate land without compensation, as well as a critic of former president Jacob Zuma and current President Cyril Ramaphosa. He has also been involved in several controversies and legal battles over his statements and actions.
Career path
- 1994: Joined the ANC Youth League
- 1997: Became provincial chairman of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS)
- 1999-2002: Served as president of COSAS
- 2009: Elected president of the ANC Youth League
- 2010: Convicted of hate speech for comments about Zuma’s rape accuser
- 2011: Convicted of hate speech for singing “Shoot the Boer”
- 2012: Expelled from the ANC for bringing the party into disrepute
- 2013: Founded the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party
- 2014: Elected to the National Assembly as an EFF MP
- 2015: Cleared of fraud, money laundering and racketeering charges
- 2019: Re-elected to the National Assembly as an EFF MP
Party
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a left-wing political party that was launched by Malema and his allies in July 2013. The party’s main slogan is “Our land and jobs now”. The party’s core policies include:
- Expropriation of land without compensation
- Nationalisation of mines, banks and other strategic sectors
- Free quality education, health care, houses and sanitation
- Massive protected industrial development
- Building state and government capacity
- Fighting corruption and crime
- Open, accountable, corruption-free government
The EFF won 6.35% of the vote in the 2014 general election, becoming the third-largest party in Parliament with 25 seats. In the 2019 general election, the EFF increased its vote share to 10.79%, gaining 19 more seats for a total of 44. EFF won 9.52% of the vote in 2024 general election, decreasing their number of seats to 39.
Children
Malema has three sons:
- Ratanang Malema, born in 2006
- Munzhedzi Malema, born in 2016
- Kopano Malema, born in 2018
Family
Malema was raised by his mother, Flora Mahlodi Malema, who was a domestic worker, and his grandmother in Seshego township. His mother died when he was young. His father’s identity is not publicly known.
Malema married Mantwa Matlala in December 2014. They had a traditional wedding ceremony in Seshego.
Net worth
According to Entrepreneur Hub SA, Malema earns about R133,000 per month, amounting to roughly R1.6 million annually, in his roles as a member of parliament and leader of the EFF. This salary corresponds with the pay scale for minority party leaders set by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers. By comparison, regular MPs receive around R1.2 million a year, while the Leader of the Opposition, such as John Steenhuisen, earns R1.79 million. Although Malema’s salary is significant, it is lower than that of cabinet ministers (R2.6 million) and far less than President Cyril Ramaphosa’s R4.2 million, which is subject to approval.
