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THE EFFECT OF JULIUS MALEMA’S LEADERSHIP STYLE ON THE ASPIRATIONS OF SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH

BY

MOCHU MAZWI

200729900

MINOR- DISSERTATION

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree

MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN MANAGEMENT

(LEADERSHIP IN EMERGING ECONOMIES)

In the

College of Business and Economics

School of Management

Supervisor: Dr Joyce Toendepi

2020 DECLARATION

I, Mochu Shylock Mazwi, Student number: 200729900, the undersigned, hereby declare that this dissertation, submitted by me in partial fulfilment of the requirement of the Master’s degree MPhil in Management (Leadership in Emerging Economies) at the University of Johannesburg, is my own original work and that the intellectual property of the authors cited in the product was not compromised.

Mochu Mazwi

Principal Researcher

Signature

Date

II

DEDICATION

This is dedicated with love to my adorable son Lehutso: I learned the meaning of unconditional love when you came into this world.

To my late little sister Raesetje Euginia Mazwi: you will forever remain in my heart Hunadi ‘a Mosebjadi le Nape.

III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To God be the glory for seeing me through the trying times and for continuing to give me strength throughout my studies: Whenever, I was on the verge of giving up, there was always a voice of encouragement in the background. As for my supervisor, Dr Joyce Toendepi, you have been a God-sent, your patience and support were the breath I needed. If it was not for your support and guidance, I think I would have long given up.

To my partner, Makoba, thank you for your support and understanding: you have been a blessing indeed. I will always be grateful for your encouragement, throughout this journey, and for believing in me. To my son Lehutso, I am looking forward to making up for all the time lost and missed due to my studies: I love you son. To my parents Mosebjadi and Nape, thank you for raising me and teaching me the value of education. Mosebjadi, I still remember the letter you wrote to me about the importance of education: those words continue to inspire me to do more. I will forever be grateful for having such loving and supportive siblings, ke a leboga Ramatsobane, and Matsobane.

To Phaka Ngwatwana and Mokgadi, thank you for assisting in arranging my first and second focus groups respectively: I could never thank you enough. To Pastor Ben and Pastor Joy, words can never begin to describe the gratitude I have for assisting in coordinating one of the focus groups and even going an extra mile in everything. May God continue to light your path. To my friends, Thato Maboko, Tshepo Tabane, Moroaswi Mamosebo, Lerato Phalakatshela and Phaleng Maribe, thank you for always irritating me with questions about my progress: you pushed me to complete this work.

My academic journey could have never been the same without the support I received from the Leadership in Emerging Economies 2017 cohort: Thank you team. And to my three cheerleaders Sandy, Tsholofelo and Maropeng: Thank you guys. To my friend and sister from another mother Ditiro: Thank you, ngwana mama.

Most importantly, ke leboga Morena Modimo for always giving me strength and for protecting me through this journey of life. I am far from perfect, but you shower me with love that is beyond perfection. Ge ele senwelo sa ka se tletše wa go falala ka mosa le kgaugelo ya gago.

IV

ABSTRACT

Julius Malema’s political role in the democratic South Africa should not be despised or underestimated, as his political career overlapped with those of Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, both former presidents of South Africa. Notably, Malema played the role of Kingmaker for Zuma after effectively dethroning Mbeki from the presidency. Loved by some and hated by others, Julius Malema has transformed the political landscape of South Africa, whether deliberately or not. The youth hold Julius Malema and the ideologies that he stands for in high regard and this has become more evident with the increased popularity and infiltration of the Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) Student Command in South African institutions of higher education (IHE). Julius Malema has been commanded for forcing South Africa to address the elephant in the room, that is, white privilege and the continued inequality, which divides South Africans along economic class and racial lines.

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style on the aspirations of the South African youth by raising its awareness on the social realities and by encouraging youth participation. The study focused on the South African youth and the political context that birthed Julius Malema and his ideologies or stance. It seems the socio-economic challenges facing South Africa, as a stumbling block to the aspirations of the youth, have made the leader that Julius Malema represents. This aspirations are evident through the issues that he continues to raise and seeks to address even through his political party’s manifesto.

The study used individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups as data collection methods. Thematic analysis was used for data interpretation and analysis. The main findings were that Julius Malema’s practices were a combination of transformational and authoritarian leadership styles, which have led to a higher level of consciousness and, by way of implication, a sense of responsibility in the youth to participate in discussions and actions on the issues affecting the country.

The recommendations propose adapting a leadership style to take cognisance of the challenges faced by the majority of the population of an emerging country such as South Africa, in order to continue inspiring a high level of consciousness and public participation, which can in turn lead to accountability. In essence, it is important for

V leadership styles to continuously evolve in accordance with the need of the society they serve in order to remain relevant.

Keywords: Leadership, leadership styles, Julius Malema, youth participation, aspirations.

VI

LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED:

ANC : African National Congress

ANCYL : African National Congress Youth League

COPE : Congress of the People

COSAS : Congress of South African Students

DA : Democratic Alliance

EFF : Economic Freedom Fighters

EFFSC : Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command

IEC : Independent Electoral Commission

SADC : South African Democratic Community

UNDP : United Nations Development Programme

VII

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...... IV

ABSTRACT ...... V

LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED: ...... VII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ...... 1

1.1 Introduction ...... 1

1.2 Background ...... 2

1.3 Key Concepts ...... 3

1.3.1. Leadership and leadership styles ...... 3

1.3.2. Youth Aspiration ...... 4

1.3.3. Youth Participation...... 5

1.4 Problem Statement ...... 5

1.5 Research Question ...... 6

1.6 Research Objectives ...... 6

1.7 Expected Contributions ...... 7

1.7.1. Theoretical Contribution ...... 7

1.7.2. Practical Contribution...... 7

1.8 Structure of the Research ...... 8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 9

2.1 Introduction ...... 9

2.2 Leadership ...... 9

2.2.1 Leader and follower relationship ...... 11

2.2.2 Leadership Styles ...... 11

2.2.3 Authoritarian leadership ...... 13

2.2.4. Transformational vs Charismatic leadership ...... 13

2.2.5 Situational leadership ...... 15

VIII

2.2.6 Sustainable leadership ...... 15

2.2.7 Leadership excellence landscape ...... 16

2.3 Public Participation ...... 17

2.4. Social Challenges facing South African Youth ...... 18

2.5. Youth Participation ...... 20

2.5.1. #FeesMustFall ...... 22

2.5.2. #RhodesMustFall ...... 22

2.6. Malema’s Beliefs and Background ...... 23

2.7. Freedom Charter as an African National Congress Policy ...... 29

2.8. Conceptualising populism and its critiques ...... 31

2.9. Economic Freedom Fighter as a Kingmaker ...... 32

2.10. Summary ...... 33

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...... 34

3.1. Introduction ...... 34

3.2 Research Philosophy ...... 34

3.2.1. Ontology ...... 35

3.2.2. Epistemology ...... 35

3.2.3. Axiology ...... 36

Qualitative Research Approach ...... 36

3.4. Research Design ...... 38

3.4.1 Population ...... 38

3.4.2 Sample ...... 39

3.4.3 Sampling ...... 40

3.5. Data Collection ...... 41

3.5.1. Interviews ...... 41

3.5.2. Focus Groups ...... 45

IX

3.6. Data Analysis ...... 46

3.7. Trustworthiness of Data ...... 48

3.7.1 Credibility ...... 49

3.7.2. Transferability ...... 51

3.7.3. Dependability ...... 52

3.7.4 Confirmability ...... 52

3.7.5 Authenticity ...... 53

3.8. Ethical Issues ...... 54

3.9. Summary ...... 54

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ...... 55

4.1. Introduction ...... 55

4.2. Emerging Themes – Semi Structured Interviews ...... 55

4.3. Discussion of Findings ...... 57

4.3.1 Theme 1: Julius Malema as a Leader ...... 57

4.3.2. Theme 2: Feasibility of Julius Malema Ideas for Economic Freedom ...... 59

4.3.3. Theme 3: Effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style ...... 60

4.3.4. Theme 4: Influence on youth ...... 61

4.3.5. Theme 5: Leadership sustainability ...... 62

4.3.7. Theme 7: Radical Economic Transformation ...... 65

4.3.8. Theme 8: Leadership style from the focus groups ...... 66

4.3.9. Theme 9: Personal aspirations ideal for South Africa ...... 67

4.3.10. Theme 10: Education ...... 68

4.3.11. Theme 11: Inclusive and Functional Economy ...... 69

4.3.12. Theme 12: Engaged Youth ...... 70

4.3.13. Theme 13: Corruption and Justice ...... 70

4.4. Summary ...... 70

X

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ...... 72

5.1. Introduction ...... 72

5.2. Discussion ...... 72

5.2.1. Authoritarian Leadership Traits ...... 73

5.2.2 The charisma of Julius Malema ...... 74

5.3. Answering Research Questions ...... 75

5.4. Study Limitations ...... 78

5.5. Identification of Areas for Future Research ...... 78

5.6. Conceptual Framework ...... 78

5.7. Recommendations ...... 79

5.7.1. Recommendation 1: Ethical Leadership ...... 79

5.7.2. Recommendation 2: Leadership Style ...... 80

5.7.3. Recommendation 3: Youth Public Participation ...... 80

5.7.4. Recommendation 4: Shared Leadership ...... 81

5.8. Conclusion ...... 81

REFERENCES ...... 83

ANNEXURE A: RESEARCH JOURNEY ...... 96

ANNEXURE B: Research Study Information Letter ...... 98

ANNEXURE C: Research Consent Form ...... 102

ANNEXURE D: Consent form or interviews to be audio-taped ...... 103

ANNEXURE E: Interview Guide (Individuals) ...... 104

ANNEXURE F: Interview Guide (Group Interviews) ...... 105

ANNEXURE G: Data Schedule ...... 106

XI

TABLES

Table 3.1: Participants profile ...... 408 Table 3.2: Focus Group Participants profile...... 40 Table 3.3: Interview Schedule Summary ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.4: Thematic Data coding example ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 3.5: Data Coding Application ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 4.1: individual interview themes and sub-themes ...... 55 Table 4.2: Focus Group Themes ...... 56 Table 4.3. Julius Malema's leadership style comparison (Researchers own work) ..... 66

Figures Figure 2.1: Julius Malema rising through Political ranks……………….……...... 25

XII

PICTURES Picture 2.1: Julius Malema with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela………………………...... 24 Picture 2.2: Julius Malema with his wife Mantoa and Grandmother …….……..……...24 Picture 2.3 & 2.4: Focus group interview in session.…………………………………..48

XIII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction

The Rhodes Must Fall and the Fees Must Fall protests among others which arose in 2015 with the youth calling for the governing party to deliver on its promise (Aucoin & Cilliers, 2016:15) undoubtedly ushering in a breeze of change in youth behaviour regarding public issues. These movements are perhaps an indication of the adoption by the youth of a more critical stance towards the social change and transformation agendas in South Africa, which have been successful to some extent in holding the government accountable on its promise for free education.

In essence, the youth indicated their profound dissatisfaction with the current education system in tertiary institutions not only by calling for the “decolonisation” of education, but also by denouncing the outsourcing of workers in the universities (Badat, 2016:12). The youth’s revolts against the social imbalances through these protests sent a message that the youth are not as naïve and clueless on issues of national importance, as had been thought due to low youth voter turnout in the previous years (Boyce, 2010). The South African youth have indicated that contrary to their voting pattern, when public issues and politics affect them, they do engage.

IDEA (2015:1) cautioned that in order for countries to sustain peace and stability, the youth needs to be included in the political processes, as their suppressed frustrations might turn into “civil disobedience and violence” at some point. Julius Malema through his political party the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has played a crucial role in the mobilisation for free education up to tertiary level which has been one of the party’s founding principles (Aucoin & Cilliers, 2016:16). Free education has always been championed by Julius Malema, who whilst still president of African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), always argued that its implementation together with the eradication of youth unemployment, can only be realised if the government is in control of key and strategic sectors; hence his call for nationalisation (ANCYL, 2010).

This research looked at the effect of leadership, particularly leadership styles and traits, on followers, using Julius Malema and the South African youth as a case in point. This

1 chapter presents the background, problem statement, research objective, research questions and expected contributions.

1.2 Background

Julius Malema is the former President of the young lions (ANCYL) of the governing party (ANC), a position he was removed from after being expelled by the ANC National Disciplinary Committee for bringing the party into disrepute (Akinola, Oluwaseum & Tolulope, 2015:114). According to Karimi (2012), Julius Malema was listed as the Time's Least Influential People of 2010, while in 2011 Forbes Magazine named him among the “10 Youngest Power Men in Africa”. Undoubtedly, Julius Malema’s presence, especially the power and influence he has gained through the establishment of his new party the EFF, cannot be ignored. However, it remains to be seen as to what extend will he influence the national political landscape, most notably the participation of the youth in the current affairs (Akinola et al; 2015:104).

As the youth world-wide makes up more than one-third of the population (IDEA, 2015:1), it will therefore be delusional for any country to ignore their potential presence and influence on policy development. In essence, one of the risks of the prevailing non- participation of the youth in public affairs globally may eventually translate to their inability to replace the older generation in politics in future as they age (Bouza & Lewis, 2014:6). The current percentage of youth (age 14-35) in South Africa in 2010 was standing at 37% (Aucoin & Cilliers, 2016). This study focuses, not on the life of Julius Malema, but rather on his leadership style and influence on the youth. The research looked at emerging leadership styles, characteristics and traits, the influence of the leader on followers, youth participation in the current affairs, in the South African context, using the case of Julius Malema. It also sought to determine whether such leadership style is sustainable.

It could be said that South Africa as a country continues to move one step forward yet two steps backward with its young democracy. The country is constantly faced with challenges that threaten its future. Like other emerging economies, South Africa is faced with major challenges now more than ever due to the ever-expanding globalisation, which requires these countries to implement institutional measures to be able to take advantage of new opportunities. Just like in many African countries, the country’s

2 masses of educated, competent and committed young people, with great potentials for leadership, need an enabling environment that will nurture their capabilities and breed the kind of leadership needed to address its challenges.

Julius Malema as pointed out by Akinola et al. (2015:109) is one of the country’s most influential politicians who has positioned himself at the forefront of a youth, which remains disenfranchised and dissatisfied with the yields of a new democracy. Crowell (2012:68) states that contrary to the view of most people, who regard him as a threat to democracy, Malema merely raises “policy issues that need to be resolved or amended”; further suggesting that Malema can be regarded as a tool for institutional change.

Julius Malema through his party the EFF has reiterated that their party does not single out anyone, but instead focuses on issues that cut across all ages. He has been able to raise the awareness of the youth on the real political condition of the country and other pressing issues through the EFF’s revolutionary stance such as the “pay back the money” and “Gupta must fall” slogans (Booysen, 2015:09). Malema has been able to brand as a liberator of the poor and precursor of economic freedom, through slogans such as “economic freedom in our lifetime”, while still the ANCYL president and to date with his Economic Freedom Fighter party (Crowell, 2012:45).

For many years since the dawn of a democratic South Africa, the youth has been regarded as a lost generation, which fails to appreciate the sacrifices that came with democracy. This perceptions has changed in the light of recent events and issues raised by the youth. This study looked at how Julius Malema’s leadership style has influenced the aspirations of South Africa’s youth.

1.3 Key Concepts

The following are the key concepts in this study: leadership and leadership style, youth aspirations and youth participation.

1.3.1. Leadership and leadership styles

Leadership is one of the most complex issues of social processes which cannot be clearly defined by a single definition (Fry & Kriger, 2009:1668). On this point, Bolden and Kirk (2009:70) define leadership as a process through which change is facilitated though successful coordination. Hazy (2011:2) defines leadership as a process that

3 coordinates and organises resources while taking the organisations performance into consideration and which is concerned with the influence of individuals on the processes and people to achieve the goals and objectives of the organisation. Leadership also consists of strategic vision combined with the skills and abilities that can enable one to influence and motivate team members or partners (Harrison & Roomi, 2011:2).

According to Kendrick (2001), there are many leadership styles in existence just as there are leadership directions and human needs, emphasising that leadership practice in a people setup is dependent on whether such leadership succeeds in addressing the human needs at hand. This sentiment is also supported by Adejuwon & Afegbua (2012:147), who emphasise that the followers’ needs determine the kind of leadership style that a leader may adopt in a given context. Leadership is more concerned with the relationship between the leader’s behaviour and task orientation (Rosa, 2011).

1.3.2. Youth Aspiration

Aspirations are an important factor in influencing the life choices of the youth, which in turn may impact on the future of their country. Therefore these aspirations may be instrumental in zooming into the challenges facing an emerging country such as South Africa (Leavy & Smith, 2010:3). Walberg and Greenberg (1996:179) define aspiration as the ability to identify and set one’s own future goals while being stimulated by the current surrounding circumstances to work toward achieving those goals. Hart (2016:325) suggests that aspirations are grounded in rationality, emotion, idealism or pragmatism and further raises a point that was omitted by Walberg and Greenberg (1996), that aspirations are driven by both conscious and unconscious motivations, which indicate commitment towards a course by an individual or a group.

Hart (2016:325) however highlights the policy discourses which tend to define aspirations in relation to educational achievement and careers, and which foreground inequality in societies as the real enemy. As highlighted by Nieftagodien (2011:2), young people across the world are being systematically excluded from participation in economic activities, judging from the high unemployment rates and high cost of education, which lead to fewer or no opportunities for the deprived youth. The importance of not limiting the definition of ‘aspirations’ is also emphasised by Ibrahim (2014:1), when he highlights that there should be a sustainable process to entrench youth aspirations into the society. Nieftagodien (2011:6) indicates that the South African

4 youth are being viewed in narrow context, which leads only to a misleading understanding of youth identity and culture.

1.3.3. Youth Participation

The definition of youth is described as any person between the ages of 15 and 24. According to the National Youth Act of 1996, as presented by the National Youth Policy 2015-2020 in South Africa, the youth comprises persons between the ages of 14 to 35 (Booysen, 2015). Mbete (2014) highlights the inconsistencies that exist in the definition of the youth in South Africa, notably between the National Youth Policy 2008-2013 and the Independent Electoral Commission, with the latter classifying youth as persons between the ages of 18 and 30. For the purpose of this study, the youth is considered as those between the ages of 18 to 34, as specified by the Independent Electoral Commission (Bhana, Scort, Swartz & Vawda, 2012).

Youth participation in this context is concerned with the participation of young people in the political and social affairs of the country. The London School of Economics (2013) and the UNDP (2014) define youth participation as a process or phenomenon whereby the youth are engaged in stating their opinions and partaking in activities that seek to positively transform society. As highlighted by Nieftagodien (2011:6), the modern-day youth in politics are criticised for either being too reckless or lacking compassion as compared to the youth of the past. Julius Malema is one such an example of modern- day youth.

1.4 Problem Statement

On entering the broader political arena and as the president of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema changed the political landscape of South Africa; something that his predecessors were not been able to do. Julius Malema has been a man on a mission to end white monopoly capital and bring economic freedom to the poor, with his persistent call to nationalise mines, expropriation of land without compensation and shifting the economy to benefit the poor (Forde, 2011; Akinola, et al; 2015).

It is without doubt that Julius Malema’s political influence has grown even stronger with the emergence of his political party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). However, Julius Malema’s leadership has been described as charismatic, fearless, and populist

5

(Gunner, 2015; Akinola, et al; 2015). Regardless of the views held by his detractors, one thing that can be acknowledged about Julius Malema is that he stands by what his beliefs without fear (Shapiro, 2011).

Over a number of past elections, there was a persistent stagnation in youth participation in both the national and municipal elections (Bhana, et al; 2012:19). This has however changed recently with the previous elections. According to Paret (2016:17), Julius Malema’s EFF party has a strong support among young voters, which has been evident in its performance in both the municipal and national elections. This study looked at the effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style on youth participation in the country’s current affairs and youth aspirations.

1.5 Research Question

The main research question is:

What is the effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style on youth aspirations in South Africa?

Sub- Research Questions are:

 What is Julius Malema’s leadership style?

 What are the young people’s views on Julius Malema as a leader?

 How has Julius Malema’s leadership style influenced the youth in South Africa?

 What are the good and bad sides of Julius Malema’s leadership style on the aspirations of the youth?

1.6 Research Objectives

The main research objective is: To explore the effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style on youth aspirations in South Africa. The following sub-research objectives are pursued:

 To explore Julius Malema’s leadership style  To assess young people’s views on Julius Malema as leaders  To explore how Julius Malema’s leadership has influenced the youth in South Africa

6

 To assess the bad and the good side of Julius Malema’s leadership style on the youth aspirations.

1.7 Expected Contributions

This research will make the following contributions in South Africa:

1.7.1. Theoretical Contribution

The research findings are expected to help identify the kind of leadership approaches to best promote youth and public participation in the current affairs and policy development mechanisms. The findings of this research will hopefully contribute to the building of the leadership framework, which may benefit emerging economies, in terms of leadership styles, which may be more suitable for specific beneficiaries and those applicable to different age groups.

1.7.2. Practical Contribution

This research will play a critical role in helping to identify leadership qualities in young people and moulding them to be able to contribute meaningfully to society. It is very clear that every leadership style has its benefits over the other. This research will contribute to the approach that assumes that leaders in various fields can employ a leadership style that will appeal to their constituencies, specifically the kind of leadership, which will have notable effect on the masses of young people. The aspirations of the South African youth in this research will help leaders in various sectors to understand and envision South Africa based on the aspirations of the youth, which is the future.

1.7.3. Methodological

Although this research seeks to reveal how a combination of individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions can be useful in addressing each data collection method gaps, while also highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each, there are no major methodological contributions anticipated in this research.

7

1.8 Structure of the Research

Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter that looks at the problem statement, research questions, research objectives and expected contributions. The chapter lays the foundation for all subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 focuses on the literature review pertaining to the works and theories on leadership and youth participation, leadership traits, Julius Malema’s background and political career, aspirations of the South African youth and the importance of youth participation in developing countries. The research methodology framework, discussion of the research philosophy, qualitative research paradigm, research design, the population, sampling technique and data collection are presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 dwells on the data presentation, analysis and interpretation. Chapter 5 is the concluding chapter on Julius Malema’s leadership style, the impact of his leadership on youth participation, and in which a discussion and recommendations are presented. The next Chapter is the literature review.

8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This Chapter discusses the existing body of knowledge on leadership and to explore on the Julius effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style and its effect on the aspirations of South African youth. The literature review is divided in three parts which are literature on leadership, discussion on the South African youth in the era of Julius Malema and Julius Malema’s background, the benefits of youth participation and the role of the South African youth in this regard.

2.2 Leadership

The literature on the concept of leadership provides various definitions and theories, all of which vary from one author to another. Dartey-baah (2014:204) indicates that the definition of leadership is dependent on the perceptions of the authors suggesting them and is influenced by the era of the authors’ life. Lussier and Achua (2010:05) also reiterate that there is no universal definition of leadership because of its complexity and because the concept itself has been studied in many different approaches. Therefore arriving at a definition that comprehensively defines or summarises what leadership is would be a pointless exercise (Dartey-baah, 2014:204).

According to Rosa et al. (2011:9), leadership can summarised as concerned with a process and a characteristic. In a much simpler definition of leadership, Dobre (2013) said leadership is the science of getting things done the right way. According to Benn and Metcalf (2016:372), though the definition of leadership varies according to how it was studied, when studied and defined in terms of process of influence, the definition becomes broader and when leadership is defined in terms of management such influence can go beyond the organisation and even group influence (Benn & Metcalf, 2016). Leadership is also defined as an art by which an individual influences others and direct them towards achieving a specified goal (Abdizadeh & Malekalketab-Khiabani, 2014:92). In an attempt to construct a comprehensive definition with regard to the process of influence, Dartey-baah (2014) highlights that leadership is about an effort that seeks to attain a set of organisational goals in line with the leaders’ vision and their ability to influence others.

9

Anwar, Haider and Iqbal (2015:3), in defining leadership state that it is a process in which a leader directs, guides and influences the behaviour of others towards attaining a set of goals, which involve inducing confidence and motivation in those individuals. Hence, the capacity to motivate and influence others is a crucial element in any leader (Dartey-baah, 2014:206), and requires the leader to have some emotional intelligence. For effective leadership to prevail, leaders need to be able to read, predict through complex situations and results and also be able to engage with their own emotions by thoroughly analysing and resolving complex problems (Bendell & Little, 2014:17).

Ross (2014:300) adds that leadership is also concerned with one being responsible over their own personal action, because an individual who fails to lead self cannot be expected to have the capability to lead others. Dhiman (2011:73) emphasises that it is crucial for leaders to understand themselves and master self- knowledge, as this enables them to know their own purpose in life, which is referred to as self-mastery. However, Ekpe (2016) also argues that followers have a direct influence on the leader’s strength as leaders need to understand the needs of their followers and align themselves to that.

Vondey (1993:53) states that most scholars have focused more on leaders and their role in influencing their followers, but neglected the followers’ impact on their leader. Joubert and Feldman (2014:03) and Guay (2011:9) agree and state that the effect of the followers on their leaders is understudied and not much appreciated as a subject. Toendepi (2017:8) in supporting the view highlights that leadership cannot be understood in silos and in better understanding it, it is important to consider the role played by the followers or constituencies.

According to Vondey (1993:56), leadership style influences followers, because followers submit to whom they can identify their values with. This phenomenon is best elaborated by Veldsman and Johnson (2016) when highlighting the importance of understanding the micro context landscape in order to identify the best suited leadership style that can appeal to followers.

10

2.2.1 Leader and follower relationship

As highlighted by Achua and Lussier (2010:239), when defining effective leadership, most of the literature tends to disregard the role played by followers, which is determinant shaping effective relationship. Solomon (2016) specifies that effective leaders are those that can form solid connection with different individuals and be able to meet their needs and expectations. This is also emphasised by Vondey (2008:52), who states that followers bring balance in the leadership studies because there is no leadership-followership relationship without the presence of followers. Therefore, this highlights the role of followers in deciding the kind of leadership style, which will be aligned to the aspirations of followers to bring about effective leadership (Hazy, 2011:11).

Emphasising the role of leadership, Sethibe and Steyn (2015:330) state that leadership requires an exchange or bargaining between the leader and the followers because in the end, the latter are also interested in their own self-interests, which becomes evident in transactional leadership. The emphasis of the follower-leadership relationship is also highlighted by Bell (2013:87), who indicates that one of the main goals of charismatics is to create an imprint of the value of the leader and follower relationship.

Sethibe and Steyn (2015:330) further state that the characteristics of transformational leadership are defined in terms of raising the consciousness of followers as a collective interest and making its achievement a common goal. According to Toendepi (2017:71), it is the leaders’ main responsibility to act as catalytic agents to raising peoples’ consciousness in order to influence policy shifts or understanding of underlying complexities affecting development progress. It is therefore negligence when the role of followers is not given due consideration.

2.2.2 Leadership Styles

Anwar et al. (2015:1) states that an effective leader must be able to adapt and adopt a leadership style that will meet the demands of that moment and situation, which they will be faced with. Nanjundeswaras and Swamy (2014:58) state that for organisations to effectively function, they need a leader, who understands the rapidly changing global environment and thus need to adjust accordingly in order to address the challenges and take advantage of the arising opportunities. Inam-ul-Hassan et al. (2012:56) suggest

11 that for an organisation to reach its success, it is important to adopt the appropriate leadership stance that best fit the situation and environment.

Slabbert (2004:6) states that implementing the perfect leadership style is dependent on various external and internal factors. Similarly, Adejuwon and Afegbua (2012:147) enunciate the path-goal theory, which is grounded on expectancy and strengthens the view that in realistic terms, leaders need to adopt leadership styles that will best suit the needs of their constituencies in any given context. The best leadership style, as emphasised by Liden & Antonakis (2009:5) and Lussier & Achua (2010:17), does not exist, but is rather dependent on the context and situation under consideration. Solomon (2016:1) stresses that any manifestation of effective leadership requires the kind of agency that will address the challenges and expectations of followers. This is because leadership does not occur in vacuum and operates in a global environment influenced by various factors. Therefore, given the uniqueness of leadership at national context in South Africa, there is need for a definition of leadership style best suited to the unique judgements of specific constituencies.

Veldsman and Johnson (2016) in defining leadership style, states that it relates to the extent to which leaders influence the behaviour of people within their surroundings. While Webster (2016:34) introduces a different view by stating that leadership styles emerge from individuals’ need for power, achievement and association, which are achieved by leveraging the weakness of other and exerting a sense of control on others, or where the leader’s sense of achievement or strength is drawn on to empower others.

According to Nanjundeswaras and Swamy (2014:58), the kind of leadership that a leader adopts or employs is mainly influenced by their immediate surroundings such as family or their cultural background. Chen and Eadthongsai (2011:1) note that the leadership stance in each country differs depending on cultures and history. The concept is also strengthened by Inam-ul-Hassan et al. (2012:58), who state that culture plays a crucial role in defining the leadership position adopted in any environment; which supports the view that culture and leadership style are directly related. There are various leaderships styles, which traditionally include the transformational, transactional, charismatic and servant leadership styles.

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Servant leadership is best described by Engelbrecht & Mahembe (2014:4) as the kind of leadership style that places the best interest of followers above the self-interest of the leader. According to Achua and Lussier (2010:356), the value of servant leadership is rooted in a philosophy, views a leader as servant of the people and the organisation they serve, and which takes cognisance of the emotional, ethical, and spiritual sides of the leader and the followers (Haines & Makuwira, 2014:151). Servant leadership is focused on bringing service and meaning to the people to impact positively on the lives of those concerned (Fry & Kriger, 2009:1681).

2.2.3 Authoritarian leadership

Malos (2012:416) views authoritarian leadership as synonymous with autocratic leadership; the kind of leadership style whereby an individual has control over all decisions within an organisation with little or no input from other members. Malos (2012:416) is supported by Anwar et al. (2015:03), who emphasise that this kind of leadership relies mostly on the leader’s own notions and judgments; such that an authoritarian leader gives orders without providing any explanation or reasons. In this kind of leadership, even planning is done in isolation from the team (Ibid). According to Anwar et al. (2015:04) and Nanjundeswaras and Swamy (2014:59), although autocratic leaders are usually confident and comfortable with their decisions, this kind of leadership style usually yields great results over a short period, but in the long term it leads to a sense of dissatisfaction or loss of motivation in the followers.

Bolden (2009:10) notes that a more assertive leadership style, such as autocratic leadership, is prevalent in most African leaders, who are usually more interested in the preservation of African interest and African culture. Dartey-baah (2014:210) cautions that an autocratic leadership style and autocratic rule combined with an absence of democracy is closely associated with the culture of “president for life”. The sentiment was also shared by Gooty et al. (2010:989), who state that followers tend to be more exude regret, resentment and discontentment with the leader, when autocratic leadership aspect surpasses the democratic aspects.

2.2.4. Transformational vs Charismatic leadership

Transformational leadership is about satisfying the higher needs and assisting the people being led to discover their potential (Kovjanic et al. (2013:544) . This kind of

13 leadership focuses on nurturing and empowering others and also instil a sense of pride, respect and trust in those they are leading (Ellen et al; 2016:2). Toendepi (2017:9) states that transformational leaders have the abilities to raise the level of people’s consciousness by allowing free expression to individual voices to contribute towards achieving a common goal.

Bell (2013:83) defines charismatic leadership as one that encompasses some form of influence emerging from a leader’s exceptional qualities, which are held in high regard by their followers. Fry and Kriger (2009:1676) state that charismatic leaders can create an atmosphere, which fosters change by creating a picture of an ideal future appealing to their followers. Gonye and Moyo (2013:128) posit that charisma is one of the basic components of transformational leadership, which includes the ability to inspire and motivate their followers through emotional appeal. In this sense, Malema as shown by Mbokazi (2016:13) has been able to constantly command the media and the public’s attention, which has led to a rise in popularity. According to Hurt and Metropole (2016:17), this may also credited to the growth of the EFF’s effectiveness in capturing the interest of voters.

Transformational leadership and charismatic leadership styles are sometimes used interchangeably due to significant and intersecting similarities (Guay, 2011:16). The findings from studies of both concepts generally converge. Guay (2011:16) concur with Pinnington (2011:344) that there is not much difference between the two leadership models. According to Eddy, Lorenzet and Mastrangelo (2011:437), both leadership styles emphasise the need to inspire and bringing change in their environment or field. They stress the importance of a clear articulation of vision for the future, as a factor which followers finds appealing (Pinnington, 2011:339).

Additionally, Guay (2011:17) presents transactional leadership as a process whereby a leader focuses on motivating followers by creating an expectancy of a reward should the common goal be achieved. Transactional leaders focus on the self-interest of individuals and motivate them by idealising attainable rewards (Sethibe & Steyn, 2015:330). Though transactional leadership is mainly focused on the leader’s personal benefits, Dartey-baah (2014:206) argues that if viewed holistically, the end results also involve the attainment of the involved individuals’ aspirations. According to Inam-ul-

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Hassan et al. (2012), transactional leadership style usually tends to involve consciousness.

2.2.5 Situational leadership

This leadership model represents a contingency leadership theory, rooted in the epistemological stance of rationalism, which posits that there is no one-side-fit-all leadership style (Faraj, et al; 2009:150). The situational leadership theory proposes different leadership models for specific decision making processes or courses of action, which would yield the best result for each situation (Malos, 2012:416). The situational leadership model highlights the need to rely on the situation and on the followers in determining the leaders behavioural stance, which will effectively impact on the followers behaviour (Adejuwon & Afegbua, 2012:147).

The non-existence of a one-size-fit-all style of leadership justifies and emphasise the importance of situational leadership (Grant & Mcghee, 2008). According to Grant and Mcghee (2008:03), the nature of a particular situation determines the effectiveness of the chosen leadership model. Situational leadership approach thus provides leaders with an opportunity to apply the leadership style, which appeals to followers and is appropriate for a specific period (Amagoh, 2011:995). This leadership theory assumes that there is no specific behaviour that is inherent to a leader or leadership style; these are depended on the situation faced by the leader or on the opportunity that presents itself (Da-Cruz, Nune & Pinheiro, 2011:08).

2.2.6 Sustainable leadership

The concept of leadership sustainability is fairly new. Gerard et al. (2017:117) state that as a result, there is a limited body of knowledge dealing with the concept to date. Šimanskienė and Župerkienė (2014:82) emphasise that there is quite a significant shortage of scientific literature that combines leadership and sustainability. However, the various frameworks that exist on sustainability will be employed in attempting to do justice to the concept.

Šimanskienė and Župerkienė (2014:82-85) note how sustainable development has gained momentum over the years. For purposes of this report, there is need to filter both the global, national and local levels together, whilst taking into consideration the cultural

15 differences that exists and three pillars, which are the economic, social, and ecological responsibilities. According to Šimanskienė and Župerkienė (2014:86), sustainable leadership is aimed at leading organisations and their members towards sustainable development, that is, a leadership that aims to prevent any excessive use of financial, human or environmental resources. At personal level, Ulrich and Smallwood (2013:35) argue that sustainable leadership occurs when the leader’s goals and ambitions are embedded and are adopted in the followers’ goals. Bendell and Little (2014:16) argue that as much as the focus is on the outcome of leadership, which in turn relates to the original sustainable development concept, the main goal of sustainable leadership is to focus on the behaviours adopted during the leadership process, which include, but are not limited to, moral values.

2.2.7 Leadership excellence landscape

Leadership Excellence landscape refers to the arena in which a leader exercises the kind of leadership style that fits with the status of the environment they are operating in. According to Veldsman and Johnson (2016:75), this leadership “pertains to the quality of the leadership outcomes”, whereby leaders are scrutinised and are affected by various factors and surrounding environments, and which eventually influence their leadership stances.

According to Fry & Kriger (2009:1668), the fact that there is no specific leadership best suited for every leader in all situations is what makes the concept of leadership a highly complex social practice. The significance of contingent leadership approach is also highlighted by Nanjundeswaras & Swamy (2014:58), who emphasise that effective leaders are those that understand the complexity of the global environment setting, where they operate because the success or failure of organisations or nations is dependent on the leaders’ ability to understand the surrounding environment.

Fry & Kriger (2009:1668) emphasis that leadership is affected by situational dynamics, which make it quite a challenge in a sense that it must take into considerations the various values, belief systems and religious traditions of the context. According to Veldsman and Johnson (2016), every leader fulfils a critical role in their organisation when executing their leadership tasks, whereby their every action will determine the manifestation of excellent leadership in line with their leadership styles. Dartey-baah (2014:203) stresses that the performance of any nation towards achieving its goals

16 mainly depends on the national leadership, because in the end, effective leadership results in prudent policies and service delivery, which in turn meets its citizen’s needs.

Veldsman and Johnson (2016), states that leaders should understand the dynamics of the milieu within which they are operating to better understand and be responsive to the associated opportunities and threads. Thus, they will be able to employ the best possible leadership style that will maximise benefits. It is imperative for leaders to understand their organisations, stakeholders or constituencies in order to attain much greater influence in motivating them towards a common goal (Veldsman & Johnson, 2016:41). Hence, Inam-ul-Hassan et al. (2012:58) states that culture plays a crucial role in defining the best possible leadership style because the need for identification to the main goal is crucial.

Undoubtedly, globalisation has been a game changer. Therefore, ignoring the global changes within their field can be detrimental to any leadership operating in the current global environment (Veldsman, 2017). Alford & Dunn (2012:5) foreground the concept of “global leadership”, which also emphasises the need for leaders to be equipped with skills and knowledge that will enable them to strive in the global context. The concept of excellent leadership, as enunciated by Veldsman and Johnson (2016 ), is important as it recognises that leadership does not operate in isolation, but is informed by various forces that needs to be balanced. Excellent leadership is similar to the concept of effective leadership which is defined by Dartey-baah (2014:205) as the successful exercise of personal influence which results in maximising the attainment of shared goals to the satisfaction of all the needs of all stakeholders.

2.3 Public Participation

Norgaard (2015:236) concludes that public participation serves as the foundation of a larger pyramid that can increase accountability and bringing long term sustainability of democracy. According to Ribadu (2010:22), the lack of public participation in the public affairs of the country has been identified as one of the leading root causes of widespread corruption in Africa. Booysen (2009:5) elaborates on how involving citizens in the process of governing through public participation might result in less resistance to proposed policies and generate the legitimacy of said policies.

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Further, Booysen (2009:8) states that there are different public participation typologies that co-exist and are interactive, which are most common in South Africa post 1994. These are electoral participation and protest participation (Booysen, 2008). According to Booysen (2009:22), electoral and protest participations have been used to draw the attention of the government by the marginalised groups. Fintel and Ott (2017:82) elaborate that the increased number of public protests and shift in the political behaviour is motivated by public discontent since the achievement of democracy. According to Toendepi (2017:14), South Africa’s level of public participation still does not yield the desired results, further highlighting that public participation is one of the key factors in promoting good governance, as individuals contributes to issues affecting their lives.

2.4. Social Challenges facing South African Youth

Müller (2019:5) argues that young generations in South Africa are faced with a bleak future, with a poverty rate of higher than 50% for the youth under the age of 24; while it is still persistently high at 38.7% for the youth between 25 and 35 years old. Aucoin and Cilliers (2016:03) points out that the youth unemployment rate in South Africa for the youth between 15 and 24 years old is approximately four times more than those in sub- Saharan Africa. The inequality gap in South Africa has reached such an alarming stage that Müller (2019:2) characterises SA as the country with the highest level of economic inequality in the world, with black population most affected.

Furthermore, one of the leading and persistent causes of dissatisfaction for the youth in South Africa is the poor political governance, which has resulted in a sharp increase in corruption, mismanagement of public funds and nepotism (Müller, 2019:5). The large scale corruption in the country has been evident with the most recent cases of state capture, which according to Bhorat et al. (2017:04) poses a major threat to economic development. The level of corruption in South Africa continues to increase above the average in comparison to the rest of the world (Ibid). Badat (2016:9) also posits that the situation persists because the government is “incapable of acting decisively against corruption”.

One of the major challenges that faces South Africa post the 1994 democratic election is the issue of the land, where the majority of South Africans have no homes or even land where to build their homes (Marlin, 2014:303). Müller (2019) states that 16 years

18 on, the redistribution of land has failed dismally as the government failed to reallocate even half of the 87% of land owned by white people, in spite of pre-existing plans to do so within the first five years of democracy. The issue of land is serious as evidenced by people’s emotions running high at Former President Nelson Mandela’s funeral where former president Jacob Zuma sang “Thina Sizwe Esinsundu; Sikhalela izwe lethu; Elathathwa Abamhlophe”, which translates to “We the black nation mourn for our land which was taken by the whites” (Gunner, 2015:326).

Daniel and Stoll (2017:112) highlight the social disparities that exists and which often have resulted in massive and frequent protests than in any country internationally. These protests include the Marikana massacre, the #Fees Must Fall and the #Rhodes Must Fall movements; all with their common ground of inequality. Fintel and Ott (2017) posit that more than two decades post 1994, South Africa continues to be overwhelmed by the social injustices rooted and engrained in the apartheid regime, whereby the socio- economic disparities remain persistent across the racial line.

Julius Malema has always been reiterating the call for free education, while still the president of the ANCYL, notably during the March for Economic Freedom and his emphasis on his vision for the South African youth. On the occasion of the March, he articulated how the action was not only for jobs, but the need for free education, land redistribution and nationalisation of key sectors of the economy (Mbokazi, 2016:73). As emphasised by Aucoin and Cilliers (2016:16), Malema was very instrumental in the free education protest, as he made inciting statements to ensure his position regarding the issue is clear. Even with his party, the EFF, Malema never shied away from supporting the call for free education, as stressed by Hurt and Metropole (2016:12), who states that even outside of formal politics, the EFF has always aligned themselves with various protest including the #FeesMustFall campaign by students in response to proposed fees increase.

The EFF was accused of directly influencing and politicising the student protests for free education and for the decolonisation of education, an accusation they never refuted (Aucoin & Cilliers, 2016:15). The future prospects of the South African youth are threatened by social conditions such as unemployment, corruption and the inequality gap (Kahuthia & Tracey, 2017:02), against which the youth have also taken a very serious stand. According to Müller (2019:05), the high youth unemployment rate in the

19 country can be attributed to the lack of transformation of the country’s education system, which Naicker & Mestry (2016:01) find to be the worst compared to other middle income countries and performs worse than many low-income countries. In South Africa, the people who gave up everything to the struggle for freedom continue to wonder where their victory is because democracy and equality remains an illusion to many (Zeilig, 2014:239).

2.5. Youth Participation

IDEA (2015:1) state that the youth continue to make social and political transformation. Examples of youth participation, according to the London School of Economics (2013), include standing for or voting in elections, participating in youth organisations, in debates and in political processes.

Youth participation, according to Tracey and Kahuthia (2017:02), can have major benefits socially, politically and economically, because the youth in Africa make up approximately 65% of the total population; which presents a major opportunity for addressing the economic, social and political challenges. Mbete (2014:11) identifies two forms of participation: conventional and unconventional participation. The latter is defined as participatory activities that aim to challenge government in the form of protest (legal/illegal), petitions and boycotts. In the conventional sense of participation such activities are expected of good citizens including, but not limited to voting and any other political commitment (Mbete, 2014).

The youth in South Africa play a very important role and their hand has been evident in the fight for social equality and democratic cohesion through the Fees Must Fall, Decolonisation of education and Rhodes Must Fall movements. The campaigns emerged in 2015 with the Fees Must Fall particularly emerging in response to rising student fees, university staffing insourcing, and while the decolonisation of education focused on the culture of what many have termed an untransformed higher education system (Aucoin & Cilliers, 2016:15).

The birth of Economic Freedom Fighter Student Command (EFFSC), which is the student arm of the EFF, has been a threat to the well-established student movement in higher institute; notably to South African Students Congress (SASCO), which is an ANC affiliated student movement, (Gukurume et al. 2016:55). The EFFSC proved to be a

20 force to reckon with by registering historic wins in SRC elections at institutions of higher learning, which used to be ANCYL and DA strongholds, in universities such as Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban University of Technology (DUT) and University of Zululand, University KwaZulu-Natal, University of Cape Town, Tshwane University of Technology and various other institutes. Having been established in June 2015, the EFFSC within two years had already taken more than seven of the 26 tertiary institutions in the country (Mabasa, 2018).

Judging by the interest in the youth’s electoral participation in this study is informed by the growing interest and role of young people in the country’s current affairs. The participation of the youth, in the wave of student protests for free education and a range of other issues affecting South Africa’s post-apartheid higher education landscape (Mandyoli, 2016:1), is a clear indication that the country has a young dynamic and resilient youth full of potential (Tracey & Kahuthia, 2017:3). Mbete (2014:18) notes that the participation of youth in election might not be sufficient, but as far as service delivery and community protests are concerned, they are either participants or the ringleaders.

The Fees Must Fall and Rhodes Must Fall campaigns were a clear indication that the South African youth are more than capable to play the role of agents of change by challenging the status quo with not just a protest, but a fight against persisting inequalities (Tracey & Kahuthia, 2017:2-3). Young people are taking the lead in most protests in South Africa. Müller (2019:5) states that the lack of prospects in the country affects young people the most and in so doing they are fighting for better living conditions and equality.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) played an important role in supporting the protests at the University of Pretoria, whereby their student command the EFFSC had been excluded from the negotiations. They retaliated and delayed the resumption of academic activities until their demands were met, which included the insourcing of non- academic employees (Cloete, 2016). The impact of student protests should not be underestimated as they contribute to the re-politicisation of the youth of South Africa. It was assumed that more youth would go out and vote at the 2019 elections and all political parties, even the ANC, heavily canvassed for the student vote (Müller, 2019:6). According to Fintel and Ott (2017:82), in spite of the increase in the number of political

21 parties in the country, the electoral support for the ANC has remained strong throughout all elections since 1994.

2.5.1. #FeesMustFall

According to Aucoin and Cilliers (2016:16), for every protest or movement, there must be a force to instigate and support it. The EFF and other opposition parties have played the role of instigating momentum by directly supporting protest movements and engaging with the students continuously. Julius Malema has been calling for free education long before the formation of the EFF or even long before the EFF party idea was even thought of (Mbokazi, 2016). As the president of the ANCYL, Malema consistently called for the implementation of free quality education, which was one of the core pillars of the Freedom Charter (Crowell, 2012:46). This is a call Malema continued to advocate for and became one of the founding pillars of his newly elected party the EFF (Southall, 2014:90). Bhorat et al. (2017:8) states that Malema as the ANC Youth League leader made a recall for the implementation of the Freedom Charter when he announced the ‘Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime’ principle, a catchphrase of which free education was one of the pillars of the freedom charter.

2.5.2. #RhodesMustFall

Badat (2016:12) states that the #RhodesMustFall movement was symbolic of the continuous dissatisfaction with the various issues affecting the nation, including the lack of transformation in academia, specifically the low number of black professors and the decolonisation of tertiary education. According to Gukurume et al. (2016:6), the youth raised crucial issues during these protests, which amongst others emphasised the need for gender and racial transformation in the academic staff, as well as phasing out of outsourcing of general workers in the universities.

Gukurume et al. (2016:6) posit that the violent protests that resulted in the vandalism of the George V statue at Howard campus in Durban University of Kwa-Zulu Natal was incited by Julius Malema. The latter had called for the destruction of colonial and apartheid symbols in the country. The young people did not see the need for symbols that did not represent South Africa in a new democratic era and as a result, they took to the streets and expressed their concern and called for the decolonisation of the education system in South African universities (Nyamnjoh & Africa, 2016).

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2.6. Malema’s Beliefs and Background

“Malema brings out interesting reactions in South Africans—they either love him or they hate him, but either way, there is a demand for constant updates about him” (Crowell, 2012)

The background and profile of Julius Malema gives the opportunity to gain an insight into how he has experienced and understand life. Julius Malema as a political leader, appeals to most of his followers especially those from poor backgrounds, who regard him as a victim and their hero. Malema’s political stance was solidified by the formation of the Economic Freedom Fighters party and its coalition with the Democratic Alliance in unseating the ANC in two top municipalities.

Julius Malema was born on the 3rd March 1981 to a single woman named Florah Malema, who was employed as a domestic worker in a township called Seshego, just outside Limpopo province capital, Polokwane (Crowell, 2012:49). Forde (2011:25-26) states that the Malema family ended up in the Seshego Zone 1, a section which was named Masakaneng by the residents, who had been being forcefully removed by the apartheid government from a multi-racial informal settlement where there used to be a mixture of Indians, Coloured and Blacks living together before the implementation of racial segregation laws.

Forde (2011:25-27) further elaborates that the Masakaneng, which means the sack, was an informal name given to the subsection of the area in which the Malema family settled as a result of the sacks, which the residents used as curtains due to abject poverty. Julius Malema was the only child from his mother, who survived past the age of three (Crowell, 2012:49). He grew up under extreme poverty, which led him to collect cans after school to make money to supplement his family’s income (Mokoena, 2012:1; Crowell, 2012:49). Additionally, according to Forde (2011:54), one of Malema’s former teachers the ANC paid for his fees.

Crowell (2012:50) states that in spite of the hardships that Malema grew up under, many members of his neighbourhood indicate that unlike many other boys who grew up under the same circumstances as the EFF leader, Malema has never turned to stealing for survival. Forde (2011:37) continues to emphasise that Malema’s family was quite a poor

23 family to such an extent that he would knock at his fellow comrades’ doors during mealtime. Picture 1 and 2 below show Julius Malema during his undergraduate degree with his late grandmother and wife, and with the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who

shaped his political ideologies.

Picture 2.1: Julius Malema and Winnie Mandela outside the court during his tax evasion case with SARS (News24, 2017)

Julius Malema never had a close father figure in his life, except for an uncle who suffered a mental illness (Forde, 2011:51; Crowell, 2012:49). He never met his father and his grandfather left Malema’s grandmother before he was even born (Ibid). Besides the ANC’s older man, Julius Malema grew up under his mother’s watch, while at the same time growing a strong bond with his grandmother, with whom until her death he was very

Picture 2.2: Julius Malema, his wife Mantoa, and his Grandmother at his Graduation (IOL News, 2011)

24 close (Forde, 2011:31). Forde adds that “His grandmother understood him, and she would always stand by him, through thick and thin, both as a young boy and later in life”.

Malema also found a mother in Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who groomed him from the time he was the Congress of South African students (COSAS) National President up until her death in 2019. They continued to be very fond of each other, as evident through their continuing relationship and admiration for each other (Forde, 2011:62). Winnie Mandela had endorsed Malema’s fearless approach in challenging the ANC to implement socio-economic policy changes in South Africa, which included the redistribution of land policy (Son, 2016:93-94). Figure below shows Julius Malema rise through the political ranks.

ln 2014 after being expelled In 2009 Malema from the ANC, became ANCYL he founded the National In 2003 he EFF to become President until became its President his expulsion Limpopo from the ANC Became Provicial National Secretary of the President of ANCYL COSAS in 2001 Was elected Limpopo Provincial Chairperson of COSAS in 1997

Figure 2.1: Julius Malema rising through political ranks Forde (2017), Akinola et al. (2015); Crowell (2012).

Julius Malema is a former Chairperson and National President of Congress of South African Students (COSAS) and President of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), who is currently the Founding Member and President of the EFF. Being without a biological father, the ANC became his family where the elderly ANC members played the fatherly role to him (Mokoena, 2012; Crowell, 2012).

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Shapiro (2011:13) believes that Julius Malema pushed his way into politics without the knowledge of his family, when he slipped away to attend the funeral of the assassinated leader of the South African Communist Party, Chris Hani. He joined the ANC when he was just nine years, continued to rise through the political echelon and later became South Africa’s most influential and controversial young politician (Shapiro, 2011:12; Akinola et al; 2015:106). However, Forde (2011:51) argues that although Malema joined politics young, it is uncertain that he had any grasp of politics then, suggesting that he might have rather been attracted by the mischief and excitement of that time.

Julius Malema as the national president of COSAS led a school learners’ march, which some describe as messy (Mokoena, 2012:2). Malema was elected as the chairman of the youth league’s regional branch when he was just 14 years old and also elected as the chairman of COSAS in Limpopo in 1997 (Akinola, et al; 2015:106). In 2001, he became the organisation’s national president. Malema rose to power at a young age, by being elected to the position of the ANCYL president at the age of 27 (Lupo, 2014:3; Shapiro, 2011:11).

The dedication of Julius Malema to his political career did not come without any consequences: he got separated from the mother of his son because she felt he was spending more time with the ANC than with his family (Mokoena, 2012:11). Since then he never had a steady girlfriend. His political activism also compromised his high school studies (Forde, 2011:55). His former teachers acknowledge that Malema was a good listener and had a remarkable ability to recall what he was taught, but he never gave enough attention to his studies (Forde, 2011:69).

Julius Malema has always been regarded as defiant young man; something that can be traced to when he first slipped away from his family to the funeral of the late Chris Hani, to when he refused to budge on his call for nationalisation of key sectors of the economy, even when the ANC tried to reprimand him, and to when he made a call for former president Zuma to step down prior to the Mangaung elective conference (Shapiro, 2011:30). Julius Malema was an accomplished and fearless young man, with a pinch of arrogance, which like today still reigns (Forde, 2011:55). These among other characteristics became obvious when he continuously referred the former MEC of Education Joe Phaahla a “contraceptive of transformation” despite request by ANC leaders not to attack one of their own.

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His former friend, Lehlogonolo Masoga, stated that Malema is the kind of person who stands for what he believes in without fear, which is why they strongly believed that he was the right person to shake things up in the Limpopo ANCYL (Forde, 2011:63). Akinola et al. (2015) note that Malema never budged on nationalisation calls to a point where he was quoted during his expulsion trial from the ANC saying “Whether you expel us or don’t expel us, these resolutions will never change”. This was in reference to his call for nationalism and expropriation of land without compensation.

Shapiro (2011) foregrounds the infamous side of Malema to indicate that in his quest for power, he can be shrewd and dangerous. This has been evident when as the chairman of ANCYL in Limpopo, he dissolved all the branches that were against his election to the position. Even while running for the national presidency of COSAS, his strongest opponent was accused of raping his girlfriend, though he was not found guilty of such transgression later. Shapiro (2011:13) highlights some of the terrifying fates that those who oppose Malema suffer. There is quite a number of people, who worked close to him, who mentioned a dark side and a wild private life (Forde, 2011), which have been all over the media at one point or the other, but one thing people agree on is that he is fearless in what he stands for.

Julius Malema was also criticised by the ANC leadership during his tenure as the president of the ANCYL for attacking fellow member Naledi Pandor by ridiculing her accent. He also publicly compared the leadership of Thabo Mbeki to Jacob Zuma’s, blaming Jacob Zuma’s policies for the current problems (Mokoena, 2012; Crowell, 2012). Gunner (2015:334) also notes that while Malema was the ANCYL president, his rebelliousness against the mother body was shown when as the ANCYL president he started rising against the executive of the ANC.

Malema landed in court for several offences which include his call for land grabs, hate speech, inflaming racial division by singing the “Kill the boer” song and claiming former President Zuma’s rape accuser had a nice time (Lupo, 2014). Akinola et al. (2015) notes that though Malema can be perceived as inexperienced, stubborn and reckless politician, there is an emergent political leader in him, who should not be taken lightly by his critics and by the public.

Crowell (2012) argues that as young and radical as Malema can be, he is taking a path that all the leaders of the ANC travelled, including the first democratic president, the late

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Nelson Mandela. According to Bond (2000), Mandela in his last month in prison stated that the Freedom Charter demands the nationalisation of strategic economic sectors, and that changing or modifying it would be ludicrous. Recently during a Power a radio live interview with the former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki (2017), in reference to the role Julius Malema played to have him removed as the country’s president, Mbeki stated:

“Lies were told to Juju (EFF leader Julius Malema) here by people whom Juju had no reason to disbelieve. Quite correctly‚ he believed them and acted accordingly. He discovered much later that he was lied to".

It is very clear that Julius Malema will continue to make an impact in the country’s political arena, regardless of what happens to the EFF. His rhetorics, political stances and career have continually exposes the failures of the ANC to appeal to the poor (Groenewald, 2017; Akinola et al., 2015). Akinola et al. (2015) also state that Malema has become a significant figure in the political landscape of the country, more particularly because his political stances address the pertinent issues affecting the majority of South African youth.

The concept of “Economic freedom in our lifetime” according to (Mokoena, 2012:51) was Julius Malema’s way of building support for former president Jacob Zuma. This was initially declared by the leadership of the ANCYL in their First National General Council at the Midrand Gallagher Convention Centre in 2010 (ANCYL , 2010). At the occasion, Julius Malema told the young league what “Economic Freedom in our lifetime” meant that “all the economic clauses of the Freedom Charter should be realised to the fullest”. The call to the fight for economic freedom was based on the Freedom Charter's call for transfer of the economy from the minority to be shared equally (Kotze, 2016:12).

Since his ascent to political power, Malema has been emphasising the need for the implementation of the Freedom Charter, which was a fundamental principle of the ANC government, and the origin of his nationalisation idea (Crowell, 2012:62). Norgaard (2015:162) concedes that the end of apartheid was only economically beneficial to the white community, as the whites willingly traded off their political power for economic power when they handed of the government to the ANC. This resulted in the ANC transitioning from socialism to neoliberalism, which was as a result of the negotiations

28 with the apartheid government. The EFF (2019:15) regards itself as a “revolutionary socialist economic emancipation movement”.

2.7. Freedom Charter as an African National Congress Policy

The concept of economic freedom in our lifetime proved to be the brainchild of Julius Malema because despite his expulsion, he continued to reiterate the rhetoric without the ANCYL; it thus became the fundamental principle of his newly founded party the EFF (Kotze, 2016:12). Malema has shown consistency in his stance on the nationalisation of the strategic sectors of the economy and land reform, from his time as ANCYL President to date in the EFF. This has always been a major annoyance to his former political home the ANC (Crowell, 2012; Shapiro, 2011).

Akinola et al. (2015) indicate that Julius Malema has established himself as someone trying to renew the black consciousness principles by making a call for an equitable re- distribution of the country’s resources, something that the ruling party has failed to do. Even with the country’s growing economy and vast natural resources, the majority of blacks in the country are still living in dire poverty (Mbete, 2014; Akinola et al., 2015), hence Malema’s stance.

Akinola et al. (2015:111) support the rationale that there are issues that are still unresolved in post 1994 South Africa, which suspended the revolution in 1994 without erasing the unequal social-economic and intellectual landscape crafted by apartheid, which has not been eradicated. Julius Malema understands this well and has established his stance in this regard to its realisation (Akinola et al; 2015:111). In founding the EFF, Malema continued to pursue radical economic transformation as elaborated and outlined in the Freedom Charter (Rametse, 2016:19).

The land issue has always been the central point of the EFF and its fundamental focus from inception in 2014. According to Hurt and Metropole (2016:15), the strength of the EFF manifesto is in its clear and simple critique of the failures of the current government and offering of simple solutions to the economic hardship. While presenting its 2019 election manifesto, the party’s strong points were land reform and the availability of jobs which are highlighted by their slogan “Our Land and Jobs Now”. In his foreword to the EFF 2019 Manifesto, Julius Malema said

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“We are not part of the 1994 elite pact. We are a completely new generation, with new demands. And our demands, unlike those of the 1994 generation, will not be postponed. We refuse to be silenced with so-called reconciliation. We want justice now. We want our land now. We want jobs now. We demand the economy NOW” (EFF, 2019)

By focusing on the two central aspects of their electioneering manifesto for 2019 elections, which are land reform and job creation, the party has highlighted an urgent need for land redistribution and job creation. The manifesto documents EFF (2019:21) made the following diagnosis

“The post-1994 governments have cumulatively bought less than 7% of the targeted 30% of land meant for redistribution, over a period of 25 years”. “Close to 40% of South Africans who need jobs are unemployed, meaning that more than nine million South Africans who need jobs and are capable of working cannot find employment”.

Mbokazi (2016:76) states that the South African youth have pinpointed the nature of the high unemployment rate and slow economic growth to be directly influenced by capitalism and land dispossessions, to which they believe nationalisation and land expropriation are possible solutions.

Regarding the land issue, the EFF has indicated that it will push for the South African Constitution to make provisions for expropriation of land without compensation for purposes of equal redistribution (EFF, 2019). This is envisaged as a process that will transfer all land to be under the custodianship of the state and will effect legislations such as a “Land Redistribution Act” and “Agrarian Reform Act”. Hurt and Metropole (2016:15) state that the position of the EFF on land reform has now toned down and is less radical as the party had indicated that their plan is for state to take control of the land and individuals applying for a licence to use it which does not essentially solve the dispossession issue.

By solving the unemployment crisis in the country, the party will push for industrialisation, the creation of special economic zone with tax incentives for companies employing a minimum of 2 000 employees, the scrapping of government tender system and the creation of a capacity to process most of the minerals locally (EFF, 2019). According to the party, there would be areas with a zero percent company tax provided

30 they meet the conditions, EFF further specifies that the “special economic zone” would be and are mostly rural or township areas with the exception of Northern Cape where the whole province will be classified as such.

Various media houses and scholars have described Malema as a populist who is a danger to the democratic stability of the country (Mbokazi, 2016:15). Not only has Malema been identified or described as a populist leader, but his part the EFF has been often referred to a “populist party”, which only attract the masses who are largely the poor and unemployed youth by promising material incentives (Aucoin & Cilliers, 2016:05).

The employment of populistic tactics by new parties in ascending to power has resulted in these parties being labelled as populist without thorough analysis of this definition (Kossow, 2019:2). Politicians currently employ populist tactics in order to appeal to constituencies, making it difficult to differentiate between populist parties and non- populist political parties. Hence, Julius Malema could have been subjected wrongly to the populism classification and, for this purpose, the next part of the literature review also looks at the concept of populism and the critiques of the concept to determine whether Malema is a populist.

2.8. Conceptualising populism and its critiques

Kossow (2019:3) and Rohac, Kennedy and Singh (2018:01) commonly define populism as a political ideology whose central purpose is to divide the society between the elite and ordinary citizens, whilst claiming to represent ordinary citizens. Populist politics is built on the leverage of mass followers by leaders, who challenge the elite or the capitalist groups (Kenny, 2016:05). However, Sithole (2014:98-99) argues that there is nothing ideological about populism and nothing beneficial about the concept, which sounds like an empty philosophy without meaning or truth. Acemoglu et al. (2013:802) reveals that the populism concept pertains to a situation whereby policies that are intended to punish the elite are implemented, but without benefit to the poor either.

According to Kenny (2016:05), populist leaders do not have a specific ideology. Instead, they rely on their charisma and understanding of the media landscape to connect to the masses. The danger of lack of ideology inherent to populism poses a threat to any post- colonial party as the absence of a political ideology may result in the destabilisation of

31 democracy (Zeilig, 2014:238-239). Sithole (2014:100) states that populism is just a political weapon used to attack those opposing the ideas of the populist.

Malema has been identified by many as a populist. These detractors have asserted that Malema as a public figure and a leader only aligns himself to a specific racial line, by being insensitive to other racial groups, and using incendiary policies, such as the nationalisation policies, which are no more than a populist stunt (Mbokazi (2016:15). Mbete (2015) states that the EFF’s performance in the current political landscape shows all the sign of a populist political party. This is also emphasised by Hurt and Metropole (2016:3), who state that the EFF is an ideal representation of a typical populist party.

Sithole (2014:376) argues that those who resist the ideologies that inform the liberation movement and challenge the idea of rainbow nation, calling for radical changes can be labelled populist by the liberal consensus, who seek to defend the pre-1994 status quo. Kossow (2019:04) suggests that populists often leverage racism and xenophobia, to validate and arouse emotions for people to feel the need to be protected from the oppressor. Hurt and Metropole (2016:05) however reject the idea that liberalism and socialism can co-exist.

2.9. Economic Freedom Fighter as a Kingmaker

Following the Local Elections in 2016, the EFF have been regarded as the “Kingmaker” in the partnership agreements deciding on who governs the three metros that the ANC lost (Mbete, 2016); notably, the Nelson Mandela, Tshwane and Johannesburg Municipalities. According to Niang (2016:2), one of the demands made by EFF, which resulted in their coalition with the ANC falling apart, was the removal of Jacob Zuma as the president at that time. Hence, the impact of the EFF demands, which gave them the status of “Kingmaker”, could not be ignored after the 2016 municipal elections, as they positioned the party as a determining factor of which party governs the metros.

As many people questioned the move by the EFF to be in coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA), which advocates conflicting ideologies. The EFF argued that the move was not a coalition, but merely a circumstantial support for the DA to exercise political power through an agreement (Mbete, 2016:606). The EFF did not hesitate in ensuring that their position was not misunderstood by both the DA and those who criticised their partnership with the DA. This was evident when through a motion of no confidence in

32 the Nelson Mandela Municipality, which enacted the removal of the DA mayor and his replacement with a United Democratic Movement (UDM) candidate (Farole, 2019:14- 15).

2.10. Summary

This literature review discussed the concept of leadership and explicated the various leadership styles, as well as the leadership style adopted by Julius Malema and the EFF. The Chapter explored various leadership styles including the authoritarian, autocratic, transformational and charismatic, situational, sustainable, leadership excellence landscape leaderships. It also looked at concepts such as public participation, youth participation, and populism, as well as the background and beliefs of Julius Malema and the Freedom Carter. It found that Malema’s influence emanate from his ability to appeal to the masses of South African young people by raising issues such as land reform, unemployment, and the prevailing economic inequality for political advancement. It established that Malema and the EFF have been able to mobilise the youth through various populist movements and position themselves as determinant factor for who manages the three major metros. The next chapter presents on the research methodology.

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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1. Introduction

This Chapter presents the methodology used for the study, that is, the research philosophy, paradigm, design, data collection methods, and data analysis method. It also highlights the ethical issues and trustworthiness in qualitative research.

3.2 Research Philosophy

Research philosophy is defined by Sethibe and Steyn (2015) as a general framework for looking at life, which influences the researcher’s interpretation of reality. Closely related to the philosophy is the concept of paradigm, which is defined by Rao (2018:1) as the researcher’s sets of beliefs about how they understand and interpret their experience and realities. The research paradigm pertains to the ontological, epistemological and methodological spheres of the research.

Atieno (2009:13) points out that in a qualitative research, the researcher is interested in how people make sense of their lives, experiences, and structures of the world. Toendepi (2017:14) emphasises the need for clarity in stating one’s philosophical stance. This is also supported by Rao (2018:1), who states that the selection of an appropriate philosophical stance lays a foundation for the researcher’s selection of an appropriate paradigm, which in turn lays the ground for the intent and expected outcomes.

Raadschelders (2012:20) concludes that epistemological and ontological views are two disciplines complementing each other, with an ontology being concerned with what is in existence or the reality, and epistemology being concerned with our own sets of beliefs or interpretation of the reality. It is Adams, Blackman, Brewer, Januchowski-hartle and Moon (2016:16), who emphasise the importance of reporting the researcher’s bias, beliefs, and assumptions, as these may play an important role in the readers’ ability to determine confirmability. Conformability is about assurance that findings were accurately captured to reflect the views of participants and not manipulated by the researcher.

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3.2.1. Ontology

Rao (2018) defines ontology as the theoretical study of the reality, which prompts the researcher to interrogate what the truth about reality is. Sweenie (2009:49) further states that the ontology represents reality, view and diversified realities of participants’ view. There are various ontological perspectives in research philosophy, which include realism, materialism, critical realism, idealism and relativism (Asiamah & Mkansi, 2012:132).

Iqbal Ahmed Chowdhury's (2015:152) understanding of the ontology of a qualitative research is that reality is subjective and is dependent on the perspectives of the participants in the study, whereby the researcher needs to understand the context in which each participant is situated. For the purpose of this study, the interpretivism ontological perspective, a worldview that consist of multiple realities and requires the researchers to interpret different perspectives, is utilised (Bakar, 2013:89).

3.2.2. Epistemology

Rao (2018) broadly defines epistemology as the study of knowledge, how it is understood and its origin. The most simplistic definition of the concept is articulated by Mokoena (2012:17), who state that epistemology is the study of knowledge and how we know it. Fry and Kriger (2009:1669) thoroughly define epistemology as the study of one’s individual awareness and knowledge of reality, further highlighting that epistemology is concerned with the nature of a particular knowledge and how it relates to belief, values and one’s own interpretative reasoning.

Raadschelders (2012:16) emphasises that in research, the methodology is guided by epistemology. This is also supported by Toendepi (2017:15), who states that epistemology influences the topic, research questions and data analysis method. For this study, a constructivist approach was adopted by the researcher due to the belief that in order to understand the different perspective of individuals, one needs to consider complex views and how individuals’ values, backgrounds and race impact on their interpretation of events. For purposes of this study, a constructivist world view was adopted in line with Creswell’s (2013:37) emphasis that in this kind of study, the researcher analyses different and complex views rather than narrowing meanings into a few categories or ideas. This study focused on the views as expressed by the

35 participants. In practice, the main aim of constructivism is to understand the individual participants’ own experiences, which requires the researcher to have a close interaction with participants when collecting data (Bakar, 2013:89). The researcher had personal interaction with all the participant during data collection. Bolden (2009:4) further emphasises that constructivism draws attention to how different participants construct and share meanings, which enable them to make sense of a situation.

3.2.3. Axiology

Axiology, according to Tomar (2014:51), is the interpretation of values, ethics and rights. Raadschelders (2012:19) further states that when conducting a study, the ethical content and behaviour of researcher needs to be taken into consideration due to the ethical nature of opinions and behaviours. As the researcher’s values directly affect the study, he or she needs to evaluate his or her values and suspend his or her own opinion (Toendepi, 2017:16). For this study, as the researcher is part of the South African youth which the study focuses on, he adopted the participatory stance where he negotiated the bias by prompting the participants.

3.2.4 Qualitative Research Approach

This research adopted a qualitative research approach in order to adequately address the research objectives. Unlike quantitative data, qualitative data is more concerned with determining the nature of the impact of a particular event or action (Acaps, 2012:3). It is explanatory in nature and explores information from the perspective of groups and/or individuals (Ibid). This research methodology does not narrowly focus on a specific question, but rather considers the various theoretical paradigms intrusively making use of open-ended kind of questions (Choy, 2014:99).

Qualitative research is characterised by an explanatory paradigm, which underlines an individual’s own experiences and how an individual interprets a specific experience, and as a result, the subjectivism of the researcher played a role in this regard (Starman, 2013:30). According to Bakar (2013:100), most qualitative research are entrenched in the phenomenon philosophy, which focuses on individual human experiences. Creswell (2013) cements the definition of qualitative approach as an exploring method that seeks to understand an individual’s or a group’s interpretation of an existing social situation or problem. It is in this order that qualitative research was used to assess the direct

36 relationship between Julius Malema’s leadership style and the effect of his leadership style on the aspirations of the South African youth. Karasz and Singelis (2009:911) state that qualitative research is mostly concerned with the subjectivity of facts. Sithole (2014:ix) defines subjectivity as a way in which the knowledge is informed by accustomed way of living and previous experience.

3.2.4.1 Advantages and disadvantages of qualitative research

Qualitative research increases the chances of collecting rich data as it requires the researcher to ask open-ended questions, which enables the participants to elaborate on their views (Guay, 2011:183). Unlike quantitative research, which ignores the human aspects, qualitative research is beneficial when performed through an interaction between the researcher and participants (Fink, 2015). According to Bahjat Abdallah et al. (2017:44), in order to get accurate information on relationships, qualitative data is the best method to employ.

Fink (2015) highlights further benefits of qualitative research methodology against quantitative methods as quantitative is limited to answering the how many, how old, and how far questions. The qualitative approach focuses on establishing the impact of the event on the affected parties. According to Moriarty (2011:03), qualitative methods are able to address the parts of the research question that no other research method can be able to address, especially when a relationship between an event and outcome needs to be established.

(Bakar, 2013) states that qualitative research allows participants to tell stories in their own words without being influenced by the researcher. In this research, participants were given an opportunity to state their point of views without being criticised or feeling intimidated. This was achieved by establishing ground rules about respecting each other’s views and the researcher also did not state his opinion even when asked until after the session.

In spite of its benefits, qualitative research also presents disadvantages or limitations for this research methodology. Bakar (2013:100) states that one of the most challenging aspects that qualitative researchers need to have is the ability to withhold predetermined ideas about the phenomenon. Moriarty (2011:17) highlights that one of the major challenges in qualitative studies is that researchers would usually use collected data in order to strengthen preconceived ideas they already had without properly interpreting

37 the views of the participants, resulting in the manipulation of data to support the researcher’s position. In most instances, qualitative research requires the physical presence of the researcher and the participants for interaction, and this poses as a challenge because it requires synchronisation of times (Alony & Jones (2008:439).

3.3. Research Design

Research design according Engelbrecht & Mahembe (2014), is a strategy to be used to efficiently gather evidence about the subject being studied. Creswell (2013) further states that research design is the type of inquiry within which the methodological approach provides specific direction for research procedures. Research design assists the researcher in ensuring that essential in-depth data is collected and analysed thoroughly to be able to make meaningful and useable conclusions (Earley, et al; 2012). Research design may enable the researcher to decide on the appropriate participants, the sample size and also the type of results to be obtain (Atieno, 2009). It is for these reasons that a qualitative research design was employed for this study.

3.3.1 Population

Research population is the group that forms part of the focus of the inquiry to obtain the desired results of the study. The population for the study was the youth of voting age as per IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) criteria. Some of them are already in leadership positions, others have worked closely with Malema, while other one were experts in the field of leadership. The population also included young people of voting age who were not registered to vote in the 2019 National Elections. The population was regarded as knowledgeable about the issues of leadership and understood how Julius Malema as a leader has been able to influence the youth. The population was drawn from various provinces which include Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. However, those who were individually interviewed were drawn from Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo, as they were approached on their work visits to Gauteng. The researcher’s use of racial and age categories in profiling the participants is aimed at reflecting the historical background of participants, their economic status and their continuous re-identification in a new democratic South Africa. The background of the youth also assisted in reflecting the population representation that Julius Malema has influenced their aspirations, specifically the

38 youth. As for the adults however in the heterogeneous focus group was an identification of how the youth and the older generation differently view leadership as a concept and Malema’s role.

3.3.2 Sample

A sample is a subset of the population (Creswell, 2014). Seven (7) individuals were selected for interviewing and data was augmented by three (3) focus groups. Of the individual participants that were interviewed, there was one black female from Limpopo, who currently resides in Mpumalanga. The remaining six participants were males from various provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. However, interviews only took place in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo, as some were in Gauteng for work purposes. The criteria for selecting participant for this study was fundamentally based on age, race, gender, profession and expertise. All participants were young people of a voting age. Table 3.1 below is the participant profile.

Table 2.1: Individual Participant Profiles

Identifier Profile Region S.O  Is an Nigerian adult male above 35 years. Pretoria  Senior Lecture in Political Economy.  Hold Honours, Masters and PhD in Political Science. C.S  Is a South African male under the age of 35 years Johannesburg  Is a motivational Speaker and a Leadership & Personal Development Specialist M.S  Is a South African adult male above 35 years. Pretoria  Senior Lecture in Political Science  Master of Arts in Political Studies, Master of Business Administration and PhD (African Studies K.M  Is a South African adult male above 35 years. Polokwane  School Principal  Teaching Qualification and Masters in Education Management T.S  Is a South African male aged 35 years Roodepoort  Associate Professor in Political Science  BA majoring in communication and politics, master’s degree in politics and PhD in African politics T.T  Is a South African male under the age of 35 years Hammanskraal  Is a Manager at a Training Institute, A youth leader and an Activist  Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and various Leadership courses

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T.M  An African female under the age of 35 years Nelspruit  Is a lecture of Accounting  Bachelor of Accounting Science, Bcompt Honours and Certified Chattered Accountant

The above table provides a background of the individual participants who were considered to have a thorough knowledge and experience in the concept of leadership. These participants were profiled purposefully as they were the most relevant to the study and would be able to help the researcher answer the research questions from a well- informed perspective. Invitations were sent to individuals of different races and genders, however from all the invited parties, only six African Males and one African Female responded to the invitation to participate. Table 3.2 below shows the focus groups profiles

Table 3.2: Focus Group Participants profile

Focus Group 1 Focus Group 2 Focus Group 3

Youth aged between 19-34 in Tertiary Aged between 27-59 years Youth between 17-22 in a and Young Professionals professional in various fields. public school Matric in History and economic African males Church leaders in various stream. portfolios From the following provinces: From the following Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and From the following provinces: provinces: Mpumalanga, North West Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Kwa- Limpopo, Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape 8 males 7 male and 6 females 7 males and 9 females All blacks All blacks GR3 All blacks GR2 GR1

Other races were not available for interviews besides invitation sent. Invitations for focus group interviews were sent to schools and youth groups with consisting of different races, however the groups that responded only consisted of black South Africans.

3.3.3 Sampling

The sampling strategy employed was purposive sampling. Moriarty (2011:7) posits that for a qualitative research to yield accurate outcome, the participants should be purposefully sampled. Creswell (2013) further states that the principle of qualitative

40 research is rooted in the purposeful sampling of participants most relevant to the study and who will help the researcher answer the research questions. According to Elo et al. (2014:4), purposive sampling is appropriate in a qualitative study where the researcher requires participants with the best knowledge on the subject under investigation. Purposive sampling, as selective or subjective sampling, relies on the researcher’s judgement in selecting the sample to be studied (Sharma, 2017:751).

In a purposive sampling technique, the researcher sets out criteria to that would best suit the people willing to participate by virtue of their knowledge or experience (Ilker, et al., 2015). Therefore, purposeful sampling was used in this study, as the researcher relied on subjective intuition in identifying the participants based on their knowledge, experience and interest.

3.4. Data Collection

3.4.1. Interviews

This research explored Julius Malema’s leadership style and its effect on the youth aspirations. It used semi-structured interviews with seven (7) individual participants, who are familiar with youth aspirations and those who understand the political landscape. Furthermore, three focus groups were conducted with two homogenous groups of youth between the age of 17 and 30, and one heterogeneous group that included the youth and adults above 30 years.

Data collection method is defined as the mode in which the researcher collects, analyses and interprets data using all the relevant principles and theories for that particular research design (Creswell, 2013). The data collection method chosen is of paramount importance to the study as it depicts the accuracy and reliability of the study outputs (Ryan, et al; 2012). The researcher invited participants through email and approached others personally to participate in focus groups. He sent an email to the school principal, head priest for a church group and in one instance approached a group of youth individually to form a focus group.

A consent was obtained from all the participants who participated in this research and permission to audio-record the proceedings was also obtained, by signing forms (Annexure C & D). In the interviews, semi-structured and open-ended questions as shown in the interview guide (Annexure B) were used as guiding questions and probes.

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The semi-structured interviews were most effective and productive methods for collecting data as the interactions with the participants enabled the researcher to make follow-up questions seeking clarity of ideas. In this kind of interview, there are no pre- set questions to ask or predetermined expected answers.

The researcher showed empathy through attentive listening and ensuring interest was shown during the discussion as the goal was to get participants to feel comfortable to be able to freely express themselves, and also be able to identify hidden area to probe for further information (De Vos, et al; 2011). The researcher made use of prompting and follow-up questions to thoroughly understand the perspective of individuals.

The interviews took place in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo, as some participants were in either Gauteng of Mpumalanga for work purposes. Only two candidates were interviewed more than once as they provided most in-depth responses which needed to be explored further. The average length of the interview session for individual participants was 50 minutes while the average for the focus group was 90 minutes. The language used throughout all interview sessions except with group 3 was English, while group 3 would sometimes make use of Sepedi for ease of expression. The researcher is a Sepedi speaker and therefore an interpreter was not used.

In preparation for this study, a thorough sample selection was conducted. Additionally, to find the most relevant and knowledgeable participants, I had to do a desktop research on everyone before sending invitations to ensure that these individuals are either expert on youth issues, political science or leadership studies. Most of those invitations were sent to academics in field of leadership and politics due to their expert knowledge on the matter being studied.

Research ethics is regarded as the appropriateness of the researcher’s behaviour in relation to the right of research participants. It prescribes the steps to follow in data collection and analysis and the writing of findings. Therefore, in adherence to the ethical considerations, I had to make sure that participants are sent invitation letter (Annexure A), which detailed the purpose of the research and the rights of participants. Participants who agreed to participate were also given consent forms (Annexure C and D) to complete and provide consent that they are participating voluntarily and consent to be recorded.

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For interviews, the venue was chosen by or with individual participants, which was either their homes or workplaces, but for the focus groups met at a common place, which was either school or community place. These places were carefully selected to ensure no external distractions occurred during the proceeding and no noise distraction would affect the quality of recordings. Pictures 3 and 4 below show focus group settings.

Picture 3.3: Focus Group

Picture 3.4: Focus Group The data collection procedure used face-to-face interviews in a form of semi-structured interviews and a set of pre-set interview questions as instrument, which were obtained from the literature and were designed to enable the researcher to pose follow-up questions. During the proceedings with participants, recordings were done, and field notes were taken first as audit trail and to be used during transcription in identifying themes. Table 3.3 below shows the interview schedule.

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Table 3.3: Interview Schedule

Interview Date Location Individual interview 1 07 September 2018 Pretoria Individual interview 2 14 September 2018 Randburg Individual interview 3 18 September 2018 Pretoria Individual interview 4 26 April 2019 Polokwane (Turfloop) Individual interview 5 29 April 2019 Florida Johannesburg Individual interview 6 30 April 2019 Florida Individual interview 7 23 May 2019 Witbank Focus Group interview 1 26 January 2019 Pretoria Focus Group interview 2 27 April 2019 Middleburg Focus Group interview 3 26 April 2019 Polokwane (Turfloop)

Five participants were interviewed once, except for follow-up telephonic calls to clarify meaning or to gather more information on Julius Malema. In addition to the information letter sent with the invitation, the purpose of the study was also briefly explained to all participants before each interviews.

After the interview, I would discuss my views and respond to any questions. I ensured that I listened attentively to the voices and any other non-verbal cues during the interview session as this is very important when conducting a qualitative research. It is worth noting that there were some interesting behaviours noted during the proceedings which included silence, shaking of heads, and changes in voice tones.

A voice-recorder was used during the session and data was transferred to my laptop for storage. These recordings will only be destroyed two years after the dissertation has been finalised and submitted. There was an incident were the battery of the recorder died during the process and I then opted to use my cell phone to record the rest of the interview. This taught me the importance of prior preparation: one has to ensure that they have all the necessary documentation in place and that the recorder is fully charged. Data transcription and analysis occurred immediately after each interview, and as a result influenced subsequent interviews.

The first step after concluding interviews which also happened concurrently with data analysis was transcribing of the interviews which I did myself. One of the most difficult, time consuming and lengthy step in data analysis was the transcription of the interviews.

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Transcription took more hours than anticipated, which required full attention and patience to go back and forth repeating where participants were not audible. It was even more difficult with focus group recordings as one needed to remember also which participant said what. Data was then classified in themes accordingly to identify their similarity.

3.4.2. Focus Groups

Group interviews can be either structured or unstructured. However, it is recommended that they be unstructured (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2009). De Vos, et al. (2011) suggest that when conducting group interviews, there should be a facilitator and an assistant facilitator; with the facilitator directing and ensuring that the session flows during the interview while assistant facilitator focuses on handling any distractions.

Focus groups allow the researcher to better understand experience and associated feelings (Mouton, 2001; De Vos, et al; 2011). According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2009), using focus groups is an effective measure that allows the researcher to get focused clarity on certain issues that have been highlighted on the collected data.

As the facilitator, in order to accurately collect data, one needs to be familiar and comfortable with the process of group facilitation (Acaps, 2012). To effectively obtain results, full participation is encouraged while minimising or eliminating group thinking and probing without making the participants uncomfortable (De Vos, et al., 2011). As the facilitator, my role was to ensure that all the participants get an opportunity to share their views and respond to the questions, as well as to also ensure that the data was accurately captured (Saunders et al; 2008).

Each focus group had an average of eight members and one was heterogeneous consisting of both young people and adults in leadership positions. The selected adults were individuals who are either in leadership positions and who had dealt with youth issues, or experts in the field of leadership. Each focus group convened once, and the deliberations for each took 90 minutes on average. These proceedings were recorded after the participants’ granted the researcher their consent to be audio-recorded by signing Annexure C. Three focus groups were convened, one in Pretoria, the other in Middleburg and the third one in Polokwane. As an interviewer, my role was to facilitate a conducive discussion during the focus group session by ensuring that all participants

45 were afforded the opportunity to express their views and answer without feeling intimidated nor uncomfortable.

A single method or a combination of methods can provide acceptable knowledge depending on the research question, this focus on practical applied research, integration of various other views to help interpret obtained data (Sanders et al; 2009). However, focus groups as a research method enabled the researcher to better understand the participants’ experiences and feelings (De Vos, et al; 2011; Mouton, 2001). De Vos, et al; (2011) emphasise the need to constantly monitor the participants’ behaviour changes during the interview session and ensure that key non-verbal communication is noted for data analysis purposes and, if possible, the researcher should try to draw any responses relating to the change in behaviour. In-depth interviews were conducted to obtain an understanding of the nature of Julius Malema’s political leadership and whether it is sustainable. This interview was conducted with a few participants selected from specialised areas and groups such as academia, politics, close allies and former colleagues of Malema among others. While group interviews were conducted with young participants between the age of 18 and 30, classified by the Independent Electoral Commission as youth. This was done in order to understand their perceptions of Julius Malema, as a leader, and his influence on their interest in the political affairs of the country. A special attention was focused on whether or not Malema has contributed to raising their awareness in this area.

3.5. Data Analysis

Data analysis is a continuous process in which the researcher engages in a thorough back-and-forth examination of field notes, transcriptions and recorded data (Eyong, 2017:142). The most appropriate method of data analysis is identifying commonalities in the participants’ response, then organising them into themes according to the issue under discussion (Law, 2013:198). The types of data collection methods that were used, resulted in the generation of field notes, transcriptions and recorded audios. All the interview and focus group sessions were recorded and transcribed accordingly.

Since the data collection method employed was in a form of semi-structured interview, Heap and Minocha (2012:179) advise that thematic analysis is the most appropriate method of analysis, as it can better assist in identifying the similarities in the participants

46 responses. Mkwananzi (2017:83) states that in thematic analysis one looks at recurring topics, similarities and differences, as well as topics not addressed in the literature review.

3.5.1 Thematic Analysis

Moutoun (2001:10) emphasises the need to classify collected data in manageable themes and relationship during the analysis in order to understand the important elements that will assist in drawing linkages. Moules, Norris, Nowell and White (2017) highlight the benefits of using thematic analysis by acknowledging that it is helpful when examining the perspectives of various participants while paying attention to both the similarities and difference. Urus (2013:104) prescribes three stages in the use of thematic analysis, notably and firstly determining the sampling method, secondly developing themes and codes and lastly, validation and use of the codes.

Immediately after the interviews and the focus group discussion, the recorded data was transcribed from the audio recorder and notes were coded manually thereby drawing themes and coding them accordingly. The data from the interview transcripts and group discussions were repeatedly analysed to identify key words and themes that highlighted the effect of leadership style on followers. This inductive analysing method resulted in main themes and sub-themes being derived during the analysis. The researcher took notes and highlighted issues that were prevalent in various interview sessions.

Table 3.4: Thematic Data coding example

Key point Sub-theme Identifier

He is courageous and a force to reckon with, fearless, Charismatic IP:TS militant, king maker, irresponsible public statements and can articulate himself clearly. He is the voice of reason but considered unreasonable by the liberal consensus. The EFF does not have ideology of its own, it is informed by Visionary IP:TS the freedom charter which shows their attachment to ANC (umbilical cord). However they have the clearest and detailed manifesto. He is visionary, engage people, straight to the point, voice of Leaders character IP:KM the poor and knowledgeable about challenges of the country and the marginalised.

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Malema has given hope to those lost hope in the ANC and Leadership action GR1P2 to people of Marikana Malema is closer to the people, the kind of radical leader Transformational IP:CS South Africa needs and has raised conscious in everyone leadership about issues of national importance We need a leader who we can trust and who puts the need Exemplary leader GR3P7 of the country first

The above provides an example of how thematic coding was prepared. The table presents key points that emerged from the data and were allocated an identifier to enable ease of reference and to also keep the participant anonymous. Since two different methods were used, which are Focus Groups and individual interviews, the first two letters of the identifier indicate whether it was from a focus group participant (GR) or individual interviews participant (IP), for focus groups were further identified the group number for example focus group 1’s identifier is GR1. For example, GR1P2 means the participant was in the first focus group and was identified as Participant 2.

Below is an example of how the sub-themes were grouped into a theme. The naming of the themes were influenced by the literature.

Table 3.5: Sub-themes into themes

Codes Theme

 Charismatic  Sustainable leadership

 Visionary  Situational leadership Leadership style  Leaders character  Leadership action  Transformational leadership

3.6 Trustworthiness of Data

According to Gunawan (2015), the failure to provide an adequate description of assumptions and of the methodology during data analysis may be interpreted as bias and make the research irrelevant for most critics. In qualitative research, trustworthiness is concerned with the assurance of unbiasness of the research process and

48 interpretation of findings for the quality assurance of the research study (Connelly, 2016:435). Highlighting the importance of addressing trustworthiness, Elo et al. (2014:2) state that its main purpose is to support the position of the researcher regarding the pertinence and significance of the research findings.

The trustworthiness serves to highlight why the study results are beneficial. Moules et al. (2017:1) states that while conducting a qualitative study, it is vital to conduct it rigorously and in a way that it will produce meaningful and useful results. Gapp, Harwood and Stewart (2017:8) advise that researchers in a qualitative study should be guided by insight, instinct and intuition to strengthen trustworthiness and credibility. In each study, researchers should establish the protocols and procedures necessary for a study to be considered worthy of consideration by readers (Amankwaa, 2016). Although most experts agree that trustworthiness is necessary, debates have been waged in the literature as to what constitutes trustworthiness. Naukkarinen (2017) stresses that it is inevitable for the researcher’s personal background to influence the analysis and findings.

Shenton (2016:63-64) and Connelly (2016:435) proposed various criteria, which have been widely accepted and used by many qualitative researchers, which were taken into consideration for assurance of trustworthiness in this research. Those criteria are credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability and authenticity.

3.6.1 Credibility

Therefore, by providing details on the research process and methodology employed, I intend to make the processes more transparent and credible to improve the trustworthiness of the research and its findings.

Elo et al. (2014) state that credibility is concerned with the focus of the research and the assurance of how well the collected data address the intended research questions. Therefore, it is imperative for the researcher to thoroughly plan how to collect the most appropriate and relevant data to analyse. Shenton (2016:64) emphasises that credibility is the most important aspects needed to strengthen trustworthiness in qualitative research. Gibson (2014:525) points that credibility is guaranteed by validating the data by cross-verifying more than one sources of the research design and methods, examining the data accuracy with participants, including negative findings and

49 continuously consulting with the supervisor to deliberate on the research process and evaluate progress. In this research, I consulted with my supervisor throughout the study. I also prompted the next participants regarding issues raised by previous participant/s in order to get an understanding of whether there is consensus or differing views, and also determine the degree to which such views differ.

Connelly (2016:435) and Moules et al. (2017:3) are in agreement that there are various techniques to be used in establishing credibility, which include, but are not limited to lengthy engagement with participants and insightful journaling of observations. Creswell (2013) stresses the importance of discussing the negative or contradictory information emphasising that it enhances credibility because qualitative study is embedded in an ontological perspective, which may result in a clash of perspectives. Creswell (2013) further highlights that when a researcher presents negative information or opposing information, he renders the study as more realistic. Elo et al. (2014) states that in order to establish credibility, the researcher should ensure that the research participants are accurately identified and pronounced. When planning the interviews, adequate time was requested to ensure that participants were able to clear their diaries to allow for lengthy in-depth discussions.

According to Elo et al. (2014), though it is important to select the most appropriate sample size, there is no ideal sample size in qualitative research. Sample size is dependent on the purpose and research questions of the study. Therefore, credibility is determined by representativeness of the data.

Moules et al. (2017:3) state credibility is also concerned with the interpretation of the subject under discussion or participants’ opinion by the researcher, ensuring that the participants agree with how the researcher has stated their responses. Moules et al. (2017:3) further argue that interview collection tools such as tapes, and field notes should be examined cautiously in order to analyse the researcher’s opinion. This is further emphasised by Mkwananzi (2017:85), who suggests that qualitative researchers should make a judgement on whether the collected information is credible. In addition, Shenton (2016:64) suggests that the researcher should also continuously evaluate their research project as it develops by reflecting on the effectiveness of employed techniques. This process is also referred to as self-awareness of the researcher (Elo et al., 2014).

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Moules et al. (2017:10-11) indicate that developing themes will also increase the chances of extracting credible findings. Shenton (2016:64) and Mkwananzi (2017:85) posit that in using triangulation method, which is a process requiring the investigator to continuously consult with participants for clarity credibility is enhanced. Also, a combination of rigorous observation during data collection, employment of different data collection techniques such as focus groups and individual interviews, is also essential in strengthening credibility (Mkwananzi, 2017:85; Shenton, 2016:64). Mkwananzi (2017:85) further states that participants should also be given an opportunity to consent or refuse to partake in the study to ensure that collected data was not obtained under duress, but was done so freely. The researcher sent invitation letters, which had information about the purpose of the study to participants, and only interviewed participants who accepted the invitation, and consent forms were signed by all participants, which also informs them that they could withdraw at any time.

The researcher built all interview questions on the literature review ensure the credibility of collected data during the study. This was also strengthened by consistently adhering to the ethical conduct code of the University and ethical considerations. Consent was also obtained from all the participants via email prior to the interviews and for those who accepted to participate, the clearance forms were completed and discussed during the proceeding. Furthermore, different data collection methods which included individual interviews and focus group discussions, compensated for each study method’s limitations and exploited on each of their strengths respectively.

3.6.2. Transferability

The concept of transferability make reference to the potential for the study findings being transferred to other subset of the population according to (Elo et al., 2014). Connelly (2016:435) also notes that the purpose of examining transferability is to determine the extent to which findings can still bear some usefulness to people in different settings. In other words, Moules et al. (2017:3) states that “transferability refers to the generalisability of inquiry”, that is, enquiring whether the researcher has provided sufficient descriptions to enable anyone seeking to transfer the findings to any setting and still arrive at the same results.

Connelly (2016:435-436) points out that transferability can only be achieved when a researcher has detailed the context and the description of participants. According to

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(Shenton, 2016:69), in order to meet the criteria, the researcher should demonstrate that the study results can be applied to a larger group. On this point, Connelly (2016:435) states that providing a clear picture of the set-up may enable readers to resonate with the findings, thereby achieving transferability. The participants were selected randomly based on the pre-defined criteria, which is either their age or expertise and this has contributed to the validity of the research as they were not selected based on political affiliation, according to which the participants represented a variety of political affiliations. Therefore, the participants were not selected based on whether they liked or disliked Malema or the EFF, but were representative of various political parties in South Africa.

3.6.3. Dependability

Connelly (2016:435) posits that there is a similarity between dependability and reliability in quantitative study. However, Connelly adds that for dependability to be recognised, the data needs to be stable throughout the study and its circumstances. Moules et al. (2017:3) and Elo et al. (2014:4) indicate that dependability can be achieved if the researcher can prove that the research process has clearly been documented in a manner that allows the readers to scrutinise the process and assess its dependability with ease. Shenton (2016:71) further emphasises that a detailed research process allows readers to judge if the research was done in a manner that complies with the relvant standards.

According to Elo et al. (2014:4) it is imperative for the researcher to be transparent about the criteria used in selecting the participants and provide a full description. Shenton (2016:71) therefore advises that in order to ensure dependability the processes should be thoroughly defined for future researchers to be able to repeat the process, therefore emphasising the need for a detailed research design. Moules et al. (2017:3) further states that another way of achieving dependability is to allow the process to be audited. The research proposal was presented to the research committee panel and the research process has also been documented in this research paper.

3.6.4 Confirmability

As described by Connelly (2016:435), confirmability is concerned with the impartiality or the degree to which findings are consistent and, if repeated, the same results would be

52 yielded. Moules et al. (2017:3) defines confirmability as being concerned with how the researcher’s conclusions were reached by clearly outlining how they were obtained based on the acquired data. According to Elo et al. (2014:4-7), conformability is about objectivity and how different people can independently use the same data to reach the same conclusion.

Elo et al. (2014:4-7) states that conformability is about ensuring that the findings were accurately captured and not manipulated by the researcher but are a reflection of the participants views. Connelly (2016:435), states that qualitative researchers should always keep comprehensive proceedings of all their findings; so that they may be discussed or be reviewed to prevent biases from only the researcher’s perspective. Moules et al. (2017:3) recommends that researchers include notes that detail the reason for choices of methodology and data analysis stances. By ensuring conformability, the researcher kept notes of all the proceedings throughout the research process and also clearly stated reasons for the research methodology choices.

3.6.5 Authenticity

Connelly (2016:436) defines authenticity as a degree to which the researcher has been able to portray various realities to convey the participants’ background as this also affects their views. Therefore, the researcher needs to select the most appropriate sample and thoroughly describe them. This is also emphasised by Elo et al. (2014:8) who states that authenticity means the researchers should show a range of realities. Authenticity as defined by Cope (2014) refers to the degree to which the researcher is able to detail the feelings and emotions of the participants.

Sparks (2014:6) states that in qualitative research, the researcher is the main data collection instrument and, as such, researchers can both come to different findings as the instruments will differ. Throughout the process of data collection and analysis, field notes and audio records were preserved. Furthermore, the research proposal was submitted to and was also approved by the Ethics committee before undertaking data collection. Participants during the interviews were requested to sign consent forms and the researcher also ensured that comprehensive field notes were made and stored for future reference.

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3.7. Ethical Issues

When conducting a research, adherence to the ethical guidelines is a requirement. Raadschelders (2012:19) stresses that the ethical content and behaviour of researcher needs should be taken into consideration including the ethical content of opinions and behaviours. Creswell (2017) further highlights the importance of ethical issues when dealing with human beings, by emphasising the need for sensitiveness. The University of Johannesburg requires that a research proposal be presented to the research committee for ethical clearance. This research committee cleared the proposed research process.

As per the university’s ethical guidelines in conducting research, participants were made to understand their right to voluntary participation and protection of their personal details through invitation letters. All the participants signed a letter of consent for voluntary participation and for permission to audio-record the proceedings, by signing forms (Annexure C & D). The researcher showed empathy through attentive listening and ensuring interest was shown during the discussion as the goal was to get participants to feel comfortable to freely express themselves, for the researcher to identify hidden areas to probe further for information (De Vos, et al; 2011).

All participants were informed through invitation letters and at the beginning of each session that the notes and interview data would be protected to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. To ensure the anonymity of participants, each participant’s name was not revealed and identifiers were used to distinguish them.

3.8. Summary

This chapter discussed the philosophy, research design, data collection methods and data analysis methods of the study. The next chapter presents the findings and discussion of the study.

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CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1. Introduction

This chapter focuses the data presentation in a manner that addresses the aim and objectives of this study. The aim of the study was to explore the effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style on youth aspirations in South Africa. In order to assist in achieving this objective, the following objectives were pursued:

• To explore Julius Malema’s leadership style;

• To assess young people’s views on Julius Malema, as a leader;

• To explore how Julius Malema’s leadership has influenced the youth in South Africa; and

• To assess the weaknesses and strengths of Julius Malema’s leadership style on youth aspirations

4.2. Emerging Themes – Semi Structured Interviews

The transcribed data was coded as per the interview questions. Throughout the semi structured interviews, seven themes and several sub-themes emerged which are: Julius Malema as a leader, Feasibility of Julius Malema Ideas for Economic Freedom, Effect on Julius Malema leadership style, Influence on youth, Leadership sustainability, Leadership style and radical economic transformation. Table 4.1 below shows the themes and sub-themes from the semi-structured interview data.

Individual interview themes and sub-themes

Table 4.1: Individual Interview Themes and Subthemes

No. Theme Sub-theme 1. Julius Malema as  Bring life to politics a leader  Voice of reason  Consistent  Represent different oppressed views.  Irresponsible utterances  Understands and resonate with challenges faced by youth  Pan African View and unapologetic

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2. Feasibility of  Inequality and historical injustice Julius Malema  Mental colonisation Ideas for  Global unfavourable economy for this stance Economic  Consequential and unrealistic Freedom  Emancipation of black people  Illicit financial flows 3. Effect on Julius  Arouses courage Malema’s  Forces country to do an introspection leadership style  Policy gaps identification  Arouses national consciousness 4. Influence on  Encourage education youth  Courageous and conscious  Encourage youth participation and/or interest politics 5. Leadership  No leadership succession plans sustainability  Contingent and adapt to situation  Situational leadership approach 6. Leadership style  Autocratic and tyrannical  Accessible  People driven  Populist  Militant  Situational 7. Radical economic  Poverty Transformation  Inequality  Unemployment  Freedom without economic benefits

Table 4.2 below shows the themes that emerged from the focus groups. There were six themes, namely: Leadership styles, personal aspirations ideal in SA, education, inclusive and functional economy, engaged youth and corruption and justice.

Focus Group Themes

Table 4.2: Focus Group Themes

No. Theme Sub-theme 1. Leadership style  Autocratic comparison  Transformational  Authoritarian

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 Bureaucratic  Militant  Charismatic 2. Personal aspiration and  Decolonised and improved public education system ideal South Africa  Minimised inequality  Economically self-sufficient  United Africa (without xenophobic attacks)  Educated and involved youth  Inclusive economy (youth and race)  Corruption and crime free 3. Education  Living by example on education 4. Inclusive and functional  Addressing the issue of racism economy  Change in parliament in terms of youth representation 5. Engaged youth  Engaged youth 6. Corruption and Justice  Unjust justice systems  Corrupt leaders

4.3. Discussion of Findings

The data collected was classified into themes and sub-themes as described in Tables 4.1 and 4.2. In the presentation in this chapter, direct quotations from the participants are used to authenticate the narrative. The presentation begins with the themes that emerged from the semi-structured interviews and lastly themes from the focus groups.

4.3.1 Theme 1: Julius Malema as a Leader

Most participants agreed that Julius Malema and the EFF cannot be ignored in the public discourse. Their role in the political history of this country has been cemented and one can never look at the political history without paying attention to Julius Malema’s role. He is also praised for his bravery to challenge the status quo on many fronts, which include education, land issues and nationalisation of key point of the economy, even during ANC youth league times. He challenged other ANC members to shape up.

“Julius is brave and courageous; he says a lot of things that are not said by the majority of people in this country. He has triggered courage amongst a lot of people in this country and maybe speaks more than they did before and we should give him credit for that. When there are certain occurrences in the country, people tag the EFF and not the ANC... Because they understand the EFF can relate with them”. S.O

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The rise of Jacob Zuma and his struggle for power with the then president of the country Thabo Mbeki was the phenomenon that birthed the Julius Malema we know now.

“The phenomenon of Malema became forceful when he made a statement that we are prepared to kill and die for Jacob Zuma and that attracted public attention and scorn from various sides of the political discourse” M.S

“The sentiment was that he is calling for war. The role of Malema as a king maker is very interesting as he saw the fall of Thabo Mbeki and the rise of Jacob Zuma… The voice of the ANC Youth League was clearly pronounced, it was only when things went to Mangaung when things changed” C.S

Most notably, Julius Malema has been regarded as an African patriot as he continues to preach unity among Africans; which is something that most leaders are not addressing. He has even been at the forefront calling for one borderless Africa, decolonised education and speaking against xenophobia.

“The EFF and Julius Malema in particular are pushing a language that most parties are not speaking, which is a language that say we black and proud Africans and let’s do it for Africa. This could have been the reason that led him being elected to serve as a member in the PAN African parliament”. C.S

This participant asserts that Julius Malema is not a visionary, but a leader of circumstance, rather than leadership material. Some participants indicated that Malema did not found the EFF because of his vision, but rather because he wanted to get back at the ANC after he was expelled from the party. According to the participants, had the ANC done right post-1994, leaders such as Malema would not have never emerged, even within the party rank, particularly because our first introduction to Malema was because of the lack of progress on issues such as the economic emancipation for black people and land reform. One of the participants acknowledges Malema’s role when he stated:

“Julius Malema is a product of his times and the product of circumstances of post 1994 dispensation which set the scene for a leader such as Julius Malema to emerge….” M.S

In order to assess Malema’s role in raising youth consciousness or youth participation in the public affairs of the country, one needs to track their general participation in the elections and general awareness of the challenges facing South Africa’s youth. The level

58 of consciousness raised by Julius Malema among the youth is acknowledged in the participants’ responses.

“EFF boosted confidence of most black by arousing black consciousness and attracted young people to watch parliament proceedings” C.S

“It a positive thing that he is encouraging people to be courageous and bold, but is has to have direction or courage toward” K.M

There is a view that Malema has matured as a leader, from when he was introduced to the public up to date, which entails that he has to redefine himself from the uneducated individual that was portrayed by the media. This participant admires how Julius has been able to transform himself in regard to education: he has completed his undergraduate and honours degree, and currently completing his Masters’ degree. The participant even remembered Malema saying his vision is to make education fashionable.

“Julius used to be a brash character. He has gone through a metamorphosis, he is not the same Julius, but he is more intelligent, educated and mature”. C.S

His most notable role in bringing the much-needed attention to accessible education has been mentioned several participants, who acknowledged that even during his tenure as COSAS leader, he continued to raise the issue of free access to education. Therefore, #FeeMustFall cannot be disassociated from him.

“This is feasible especially free education, considering the amount of money spoken about in those commissions”. K.M

4.3.2. Theme 2: Feasibility of Julius Malema Ideas for Economic Freedom

The study found that democracy in South African means different things to different people. While some participants emphasised it as the ability to express different views, others expressed a deep concern on how the country has not been able to economically transform, in spite of its status of democratic country.

“We were celebrating Freedom Day which means nothing to me because the oppressor cannot give you freedom” T.S

However, there was consensus among the participants that the economy is still in the hands of the minority and that Julius Malema has been brave in fearlessly stressing this issue.

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“The kind of inequality we have in South Africa is too obvious to be ignored to an extend that Malema is historically aware, he is knowledgeable and passionate to addressing the wrong of the past, the need for economic freedom cannot be ignored… he is driven by the reality”. S.M

There has not been much change since 1994. There is no meaning of democracy without shift in the economy to benefit the masses”. T.M

“If we are concerned about not trusting them with nationalisation, then let’s remove them and put those we trust. Julius Malema is bringing a positive change in a sense that youth are represented”. K.M

Throughout the interviews, economic freedom was indeed highlighted to be an imperative issue, especially several years post-1994, in spite of a number of reservations among participants regarding Malema’s and the EFF’s questionable approaches.

“The ideas are feasible and doable, but they would consequential. For an economy that is integrated into a global neo-liberal paradigm, there would be consequences if you go that route. But we have to admit that it is unrealistic as we need to understand how things are in a neo-liberal economy and how dependent you are to the rest of the world, institutes like IMFS, World Bank, WTO, etc.” M.S

4.3.3. Theme 3: Effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style

According to various participants, Malema is an example of a good democratic leader of a government, as he can express unpopular views and appears to be the missing piece of the puzzle needed in realising true democracy.

“Democracy is about representativeness, is about voice, it’s about participation, and different views…. Julius Malema fit well with an example of a vibrant democracy…. He brings life democracy” M.S

“I see a leader who is brave, visionary, and straight to the point and also engages in detail. He also has knowledge of his country. He is part of the solution of what South African needs, in a sense that he is not shy to say what he sees. South African is a democratic country and the current core leadership cannot just say what they see because they fear for their lives and jobs”. S.O

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“Julius does not have a bad influence on the idea of rainbow nation, the material on the ground speaks for itself, even without Julius Malema, there is black poverty, there is youth that is disenfranchised, it is not like he is constructing some myths”. M.S

“Julius Malema has brought back some of the ideals of that have been thrown at the pack of the banner, when you go back to the ideals of Pan Africanism, ideals of freedom charter, etc. people had moved on to embrace their middle class existence but he has gone back to them”. C.S

4.3.4. Theme 4: Influence on youth

The two young people among the seven-individual participants of the open-ended interviews indicated that Julius Malema has influenced them to take interest in the public affairs of the country.

“While I was a student at the University of Pretoria, Julius Malema came and spoke about the issues that really affected me as a black student which I previously ignored which included the language, access to affordable education and the racial inequality. It was only after this I saw the importance of voting”. T.T

“He has forced the youth to reflect on their role and understands our role as youth. I have been very ignorant of the role of politics before”. T.M

Though some participants stated that there are insufficiencies in Malema’s leadership, they acknowledged his ability to mobilise the youth and encourage their participation in the affairs of the country, thereby raising their consciousness.

“I give some credit to Julius Malema for his bravery and courage to talk to the issues affecting disenfranchised black youth”. S.O

“Even if you are not a follower of the EFF and Malema, an example they are setting is that as a young black South African or African, you must skill your knowledge base and must become an educated person. So one of the influences he is make is that to be an intellectual is cool…. One of the assets politically that Julius Malema has is that he has always been a leader of the youth… So he always has his finger on the pulse of issues affecting youth…... He has a multiplier effect on many youth…his party was able to get over 4 million votes while previously most of the youth were disengaged with the political processes… The future of South Africa is linked to the future of Africa as a whole”. C.S

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Regardless on the views about Malema’s leadership style and although not all participants agreed with his approaches and his sincerity as a leader, they all acknowledged his role in encouraging youth participate participation.

“He is making sure that the youth is able to debate and reflect on issues which is evident with my students... He is also ensuring the youth can hold the leaders to account through protest and other form of participation” K.M

4.3.5. Theme 5: Leadership sustainability

In line with the literature review, sustainable leadership, by definition, occurs when the leader’s goals and ambitions are embedded and are adopted in the follower’s goals. In this sense, participants in the study did not agree on the sustainability of Malema’s leadership styles, with some believing that it is sustainable and others thought it was not. Those who thought it is sustainable mainly based their opinion of the fact that he has been in the political field for long and understands the dynamics of this country, given the evolution of his career from his time in COSAS and ANCYL President to date.

“His leadership can be sustained as he has shown to be able to adapt and modify his leadership style” C.S

“Malema’s leadership is sustainable as he has stood the test of time, his ideologies are what can take South Africa forward and is strong enough to unite African leaders” S.O

“Sustainable as he understands his audience and there are no grey areas with him” T.T

Another participant asserted that Malema’s leadership was sustainable as the politician should understand the dynamics of politics for him to be successful until this this far. This is perhaps a clear indication that there is no leadership fit for every situation and this will assist him in adjusting his leadership stances as circumstance changes.

“Malema’s leadership is sustainable as he has stood the test of time, his ideologies are what can take SA forward and he is strong enough to unite African leaders”. C.S

Participant who indicated that Malema’s leadership was not sustainable stated that his kind of leadership is not suited to address most of the challenges facing South Africa and Africa at large. However, taking into consideration that the EFF is still a young party, his authoritarian leadership style is needed to ensure it does not perish like other political

62 parties such as Congress of the People (COPE). There was consensus that Malema was suppressing other leaders in his party, thereby threatening continuity beyond his existence.

“His current leadership style is not sustainable but it’s what is needed to bring change” K.M

“He has proven to change with situation but change of ideological path render one to wonder how trusted they can be. Also, his autocratic style threatens continuity, this has been seen with Andile Mngcixama and other who left.” T.T

“The entire leadership rest on his leadership traits. Success is not success without succession, therefore the danger lies in monopolising of power”. C.S

Malema’s detractors assert that his proposed economic policies and his leadership style are not sustainable when one take into consideration the broader perspective that South Africa does not function in isolation, but it interlinked with the rest of the world.

“Leadership style not sustainable: will need to look changes of the economy and align as such.” T.M

Other participants did not provide a definite answer, but highlighted that Malema seems to be maturing as a politician. However, the sustainability of his leadership style is more dependent on his ability to relinquish power, which seems improbable. Yet, another participant reiterated that his current leadership style is just what is needed to bring about transformation.

“The sustainability of Julius Malema’s leadership is dependent on his ability to adjust with situation, shared power and responsibility, and empowering others as it’s dangerous to monopolise power. Politic is entrenched in him and he get more mature with time and experience” S.O

“His leadership is defined by the context of South Africa and is well suited for this country”. C.S

“There is no succession plan and there is also possibility of tyrannical in him…. he is capable of adapting into what is in existence” K.M

Though not directly responding to this question, another participant’s sentiment was that the EFF’s ideology cannot jeopardise its sustainability. He stated:

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“There is no political party that rose in this fashion except for COPE which also because of the infights of Lekota and Shilowa saw its diminished. The EFF was able to mobilise and tap into the frustration of our nation… Frankly I would argue that the EFF does not have an ideology, I would argue from a credible point of view. Andile Mngxitama is the one who came to the EFF with an ideological quota. The EFF come from the ANC which is a liberal party no matter what they can say, so the umbilical cord of the EFF is in the ANC and it has not been broken”. T.S

4.3.6. Theme 6: Leadership style

It is evident that Julius Malema leadership was not fixed on any specific style, but rather on a combination of different styles. Some participants in the study have identified charismatic and militant kind of leadership styles in Malema.

“He is very charismatic and militant, assertive, outspoken and can instil some type of discipline in his organisation. He is some type of a glue that keeps his organisation together, but the danger is that in his absence I can’t see anyone fulfilling the same rule. The entire leadership rest on his leadership traits” C.S

“He is charismatic, militant, outspoken and disciplined” T.M

The participants raised the concern that Malema appears to always want to have the last word and exercise power unapologetically. It seems as if he is never willing to compromise.

“He is an autocratic, when we go further, we will say a leader doesn’t just practice autocracy, there will be element of democracy but this one is dominant. This is made by his personal character because he is arrogant” K.M

“His leadership style I think he is an authoritarian; he is like those people who stamp their authority. Like his word is final... he strikes me as someone who does things his own way” T.T

Another participant highlighted that as a leader Malema’s sense of command and authority might be mistaken for autocratic leadership. The participants further indicated that Malema can also be regarded as a transformational leader, as he tends to challenge the status quo and does not follow the masses, but aims to always distinguish himself from the rest.

“he is an interesting person in a sense that he has different leadership styles and not just one, he is autocratic in a sense that if you look at him from a distance he seems like

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he wants to control the whole show and in the process he is also a transformational in a sense that he wants to get people thinking differently from the thinking they have held for years”. S.O

There was a participant who was critical of Malema’s leadership style, by looking at his history and stances, arguing that he is rather a populist leader more concerned with pushing the numbers without having any strong political philosophy.

“the EFF is holding on to the freedom charter which is a policy of the ANC, the EFF does not have their own ideology and this gives an impression that Malema’s leadership is more of populism because his revolution only became revolution just for the sake of the word, so it is just a revolution without an ideological content… Genetically they would say populism is when you are a demi god, you are arousing people’s emotions, you are spewing rhetoric without content, you playing with people’s mind and you telling people what they want to hear, you arouse their passion, you kill their political imagination, you kill their sense of critical thinking and you make them sheep. But I would like to put caution to this thinking…. populism has philosophical element. Populism is not a pejorative term always; it can have a positive element, but these positive elements are often overlooked in the liberal consensus or in the public discourse”. T.S

4.3.7. Theme 7: Radical Economic Transformation

When asked about the policies of the EFF and Malema’s views regarding the economy, many agreed with them, either fully or partially. It was believed that the economic inequalities of the country cannot be ignored, and this requires one to closely pay attention to the issues raised by the EFF policies or election manifesto. Julius Malema has continued to raise issues and did so when it was not even fashionable. The issue of inequality was persistently raised by all the participants.

“The land question, Malema and the EFF they were unapologetic, were radical about it…... he provides an alternative, alternative narrative to the global dominating narrative. The need for economic freedom is non-negotiable, the means to go about is what is needed. We need to be pragmatic; we need to even be ourselves as African, we need new thinking” M.S

“if you name your party Economic Freedom, it means your stance is very clear. If you look at the rate of change in our economy since 1994, the rate has not been exciting which some can call a snail pace”. C.S

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It is believed that sometimes a radical approach is necessary to bring about a positive impact. This supports therefore Malema’s approach and his role and that of the EFF in raising social consciousness.

“If you make peaceful change impossible, you make violent change inevitable. There is a tendency in Africa that most of our political leaders is like they are deaf… If it was not the EFF, Jacob Zuma would have finished his term… he is very close to his people…. he is raising consciousness; he is raising courage…. Peace that is not based on justice will not last”. S.O

4.3.8. Theme 8: Leadership style from the focus groups

In order to further assess Malema’s perceived leadership style, the focus group participants were instead requested to name a leader, whom they perceived to be like Julius Malema. This was used as majority of the participants are not well knowledgeable with leadership styles. Participants were asked to identify the leader and the leadership traits of those particular leader. Table 4.3 below shows the findings on Julius Malema's leadership style comparison (Researcher’s own work).

Table 4.3: Julius Malema's Leadership Style Comparison (Researcher's own Work)

Group Identified leader Leadership Traits Group 1 Sadam Husen  Militant (Pretoria)  Autocratic  Dictator Muammar Gaddafi  Militant  Autocratic Chris Hani  Militant  Authoritarian Fidel Castro  Militant  Transformational  Charismatic  Authoritarian Group 2 Muammar Gaddafi  Militant (Middleburg)  Autocratic Che Guevara  Militant  Authoritarian Jacob Zuma  Charismatic  Situational  Traditional  Collaborative Donald Trump  Charismatic  Authoritative  Narcissist

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Robert Mugabe  Authoritarian  Bureaucratic  Narcissist Thabo Mbeki  Authoritarian  Consultative Vladimir Putin  Militant  Authoritarian

Group 3 Robert Mugabe  Authoritarian (Turfloop  Bureaucratic Limpopo)  Narcissist Winnie Mandela  Militant  Charismatic  Transformational

The main similarities in leadership traits that were identified by the participants in all the three groups were authoritarian, charismatic, militant, bureaucratic and transformational.

4.3.9. Theme 9: Personal aspirations ideal for South Africa

All the youth who participated in the focus group were asked what their aspirations were and where they saw their country. In almost all cases, they responded mostly with their aspiration about the country rather their personal as some believe they cannot separate the two. Group 3 focus group was a heterogeneous as it had a combination of young people and adults. This question was only asked to those that fell into the youth category, but only three of the seven young people responded. Amongst these youthful participants, there was a unilateral consensus regarding the importance and need for a good education system. The participants highlighted the need for an education system, which was relevant to the challenges faced by their country and which promoted the intellectual capacity of their country instead of a copied education system.

“South Africa needs an African based solution which includes decolonised education and economy focusing on Africa” GR1P3

“We need a leadership that would bring about positive change in the education system, to at least bring about resources for public schools as those of private” GR3P8

Economic emancipation remained a key aspiration for these young participants, and this can also be accredited to the exorbitant level youth unemployment, not only in the

67 country, but in Africa at large. This concern about the economic stagnation of other African countries was a clear indication that the youth are now more conscious that the impact of economy may spread to neighbouring countries.

“South Africa should build a more self-sufficient economy which will minimise the effect of global economic crisis”. GR1P4

“African needs to be united and with same currency, it’s not nice to look prospering while other countries in poverty” GR1P1

Inequality concerns were also highlighted among the youth aspirations, with the issue of gender equality being widely discussed and deliberated. The need for inclusive and equal opportunities between male and female was highlighted as important. One indication of the achievement would be having a female president of the country, as a sign of gender equality.

“South Africa needs a female president to show its commitment to equality” GR3P7

4.3.10. Theme 10: Education

Education and school facilities continue to be a major challenge for most disadvantaged black youth. The infrastructure in most rural schools is not even conducive for learning. Most participants raised an issue of an education system, which can contribute to addressing the challenges of this country and is in line with African philosophy.

“Public and rural schools should be given as much attention as other schools. Look, our schools don’t even have enough resources not to mention proper classrooms. How can we perform like other students when we don’t have same resources?” GR3P8

“I aspired our education and economy is decolonised in a sense that we do not define our being according to what the westerns define us or brought during their colonial years…. We need an education system that is aligned to our needs and the needed skills in our country. GR1P3

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4.3.11. Theme 11: Inclusive and Functional Economy

The study showed that the youth was aware of the decline in the GDP and the effect this has on the overall economy of the country. Furthermore, they emphasised the negative role of capitalism which continues to affect the poor more than any else.

“Africa economy should be united with same currency. Production should happen in within the country so that we process our own raw material” GR1P1

“…as South Africa we need a more self-sufficient independent economic system in a sense that we produce our own goods and export final product. This will create jobs, promote innovation.”

“We need an economy that is sustainable and self-sufficient. We need to de- privatise certain entities which are now defined by greed hence the cost of living is high.” GR1P4

The current economy is much skewed and only benefits the rich and middle class, while suffocating the poor. Unemployment is high and mostly affects black youth.

“..we need a transformed economy that will benefit everyone and not only those already rich but also the poor” GR1P3

“I would like to see a South Africa without unemployment crisis. Services delivery is really up to standard”. GR1P7

The data showed a high level of dissatisfaction among the youth regarding the skewness of the economy since the end of apartheid, with many disgruntled the lack of socio- economic progress for most black people post-1994.

“I believe the negotiations that led to 1994 were too compromised so we need to revisit some of those agreements to address economic issues”. GR1P3

“It is high time the youth is involved in the economy. We need an independent economy that will not depend on other countries on everything. We need to prioritise closing the inequality gap, in a sense that we must revisit previous policies such as Black Economic Empowerment, Employment Equity and even our education system to reflect on what went wrong. We need a united Africa that will move forward together to build an economic powerhouse and refrain from always being victims”. GR1P2

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4.3.12. Theme 12: Engaged Youth

Most young people felt left out in decision making as they do not regard themselves as being represented in parliament. They asserted that they could not leave their future to be decided by older people who will not have to live with the decisions they made.

“We have to be engaged as the youth, both in the economy, politic and affairs of the country in general. We need to have this change to be radical as things have been slow for far too long now” GR3P5

4.3.13. Theme 13: Corruption and Justice

According to one participant, the current justice system is failing the poor while the rich and influential get away with everything. This indicates a lack of confidence not only in our leaders, but also the justice system. The sentiment was also expressed by various other participants who have lost confidence in the country’s political leaders.

“We need a just justice system that is not choosy, whether you rich, poor or you a politician we should be treated equally. A corrupt free South Africa. And production of goods and services within our country as this will create jobs and reduce crime” GR3P2

“The ANC has always been capable of taking our country forward, but the problem is that there are greedy leaders in there”. GR3P10

4.4. Summary

There was a sense in the responses of several participants that the economy should work for Africa instead of the West. The data showed that the young participants would like an economy that is built within the country or Africa as a whole instead of one based on foreign investment. Other participants stated that foreign investment will dictate the direction the country should take on key issues such as land redistribution. The common aspirations of young participants in the focus groups for South Africa was youth participation in the economic activities, decolonised education system, an economy wholly owned by Africa, land and wealth redistribution, and united Africa without xenophobia. Participants showed an understanding of the challenges facing South Africa and Africa at large, and foregrounded the haunting effect of colonialism. They also emphasised the need to be included in decision making and economic activities indicating that as the youth they are conscious about the role they need to play.

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The next chapter presents on the data discussion, recommendations and conclusion.

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CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

5.1. Introduction

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style on the aspirations of the South African youth. This chapter presents the findings emanating from the data interpretation done in chapter four. It establishes the link between the key findings and literature review, before addressing the research questions and objectives, and stating the recommendations and the conclusion of the study.

5.2. Discussion

"We may not defeat them with stones. We may not have the guns to defeat them, but we will defeat them with our unity and with our consciousness. Do not undermine the struggle of liberating the mind." – Julius Malema

There was a difference in view regarding Julius Malema’s authoritarian leadership traits. Some participants argued that he is a step short of being dictator, while others stressed that the latter tendency has assisted him to succeed in his leadership roles. According to Webster (2016), the autocratic leadership style is mostly tolerable during periods of radical change and socio-economic instability, but may not be sustainable over a longer period.

Transformation leadership is well described by Sethibe & Steyn (2015:330), who states that transformational leaders can influence the attitudes and aspirations of the public by creating a drive towards a common goal. Both the literature review and participants’ responses point out that Julius Malema has been able to achieve a lot, though not fully nor consciously. Toendepi (2017:98) states that the transformational leader sees reality through the eyes of the people and enables followers to participate in solution finding by raising their consciousness; which Malema has been able to achieve. All participants in the research agreed that Malema has raised a level on consciousness among the youth, which led to an increase in youth participation various platforms, not limited to voting.

Nanjundeswaras and Swamy (2014:58) indicates that transformational leaders can define and articulate a vision clearly and increase follower’s motivation. Gunner (2015:327) argues that Julius Malema has been able to articulate key policies, while still within the ANC and continued to do so when he founded the EFF. As a leader, he has

72 been successful in articulating the economic dissatisfactions and social injustices, which had been ignored in forging a rainbow nation dream. His ability to articulate his ideas can also be confirmed through his ability to attract media attention and his ability to draw attention to policy issues, which need to be addressed (Crowell, 2012).

Toendepi (2017) posits that transformational leadership plays a critical and catalytic role in raising the level of consciousness important for transforming a social system. Malema’s leadership style has been credited with driving consciousness and igniting bravery among the youth and forcing South Africans to address issues such as inequality and access to education, which were previously forgotten or ignored.

“Malema as a leader is fighting for equality for blacks and the EFF is very clear in its manifesto” GR1P4

“He understands the issues that affect the youth and seek to aspire the youth”. GR2P1

As shown in the responses above, participants acknowledged his ability to get the youth engaged. This is also supported in the research by most young participants in the focus groups, who acknowledged that they do not know of any other ANCYL Presidents besides Julius Malema. Those who knew the leader after Malema only know him as “OROS”, a name given to him by Malema and his followers, indicating the crucial role he played to conscientising the youth.

5.2.1. Authoritarian Leadership Traits

Bolden (2009:10) emphasises that the autocratic leadership style, which can be regarded as a more assertive leadership style, is very prevalent in most African leaders, who may be more interested in protecting their own interests rather than those of the African people. Julius Malema’s position regarding African unity, colonial legacy, the nationalisation of mines and admiration for African leaders is clear, as he has been vocal in articulating his position on how to address the continued exploitation of Africa by the West. Malema is unapologetic about the expropriation of land without compensation and the nationalisation of mines, and has openly expressed the need to redistribute the wealth of the continent among Africans. As stated earlier, however, Webster (2016) warns that the autocratic leadership style may be short-lived as it may only be tolerable

73 during periods of radical change and seeming socio-economic instability, and not over the long term.

5.2.2 The charisma of Julius Malema

Julius Malema has been described by many as charismatic (Gunner, 2015; Akinola, et al., 2015). Bell (2013:83) defines charismatic leadership as leadership that encompasses some form of influence, whereby a leader has exceptional qualities that are held in high regard by their followers. Regardless of whether or not the participants believed in Malema’s leadership and sincerity, most of them stated that he was doing well in addressing issues affecting ordinary South Africans and that he was leading by example.

“Malema is merely fighting for a long promise for South Africans contained in the Freedom Charter and his fighting spirit can be compared to that of Nelson Mandela” GR1P4

“His Party is the only party advocating for education and leading by example” GR1P2

According to Bell (2013:87), one of the main goals of charismatics is to create and reinforce the value of leader and follower relationship. Fry and Kriger (2009:1676) posits that charismatic leaders can create an atmosphere, which fosters change by creating a picture of an ideal future that is appealing to their followers. The findings shows that Malema has been able to inspire confidence in his followers, who strongly believe in his ideal South Africa. This was highlighted by participants who said:

“Julius Malema has appealed to the youth by his ability to clearly pronounce radical transformation, but his sudden change and contractions on the issue of land are leaving a gap.” T.S

Malema’s party articulate their key ideal in clear terms, which is also evident in the political party’s slogan, namely “Economic Freedom in our lifetime”.

“He is very charismatic and militant, assertive, outspoken and can instil some type of discipline in his organisation. He is some type of a glue that keeps his organisation together, but the danger is that in his absence I can’t see anyone fulfilling the same rule. The entire leadership rest on his leadership traits” C.S

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Gonye and Moyo (2013:128) note that charisma is one of the basic components of transformational leadership, in addition to the ability to inspire and motivate their followers through emotional appeal. Participants’ responses during data collection show that Julius Malema has been able to inspire and motivate followers. This confirms that the role played by followers in deciding the kind of leadership style that will be aligned to their aspirations to bring about effective leadership (Hazy, 2011:11). Emphasising the role of followers, Sethibe and Steyn (2015:330) pointed out that leadership requires an exchange or bargaining between the leader and the followers, as in the end, the followers also aim to achieve their own self-interests.

Pinnington (2011:339) emphasises that the transformational and charismatic leadership models stress the importance of clear articulation of vision for the future, as a factor which followers find appealing. One of the main finding is that participants identify with the ideals, which have been advocated Malema, from the time he was in ANCYL president to date in the EFF (Gunner, 2015:327).

5.3. Answering Research Questions

This section addresses the research questions.

5.3.1 What is the effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style on youth aspirations in South Africa?

The study showed that Malema is hated by some and loved by others. This was been evident through the differing responses received from participants with some regarding him as a hero and the future of not only this country, but Africa as whole; while others saw him as a villain, who only cares about enriching himself. The number of those who hate him is as much as of those who love him. This is confirmed by Crowell (2012:48), who states:

“For every fan of Malema, there are many who dislike him and his policies; his name invites scorn and mockery from many segments of the citizenry— especially the elite”.

Even among those who hate him or who do not trust him, there is still an acknowledgement of his good deeds, which as stated by most participants is his ability to ignite a sense of bravery in his followers and to confront the status quo. The findings show that he plays a major role as a leader and several young people

75 look up to him and agree with the issues that he raises although some do not agree with his approaches.

5.3.2 How has Julius Malema’s leadership influenced the youth in South Africa?

The influence of Julius Malema on the youth is also emphasized by Gukurume (et al.; 2016:85) when indicating that the UKZN students defaced the statue of King George V at their Howard campus after calls by Malema to destroy all the erected symbols that represent colonialism and apartheid. Malema has ignited the fire in most youths, specifically the economically disenfranchised, this has resulted in an increased youth participation in public issues and increase in young voters.

The youth have gone to an extend of holding leaders accountable regarding their promises for accessible to affordable education through #FeesMustFall movement and have also catalysed the issues of language in universities. As a result Malema’s influence has been very significant. One thing that can be acknowledged about Julius Malema is that he stand by what he believes in without fear of putting it forward (Shapiro, 2011) hence his clear support for #FeesMustFall movement. Malema was also accused of inciting violence during the #FeesMustFall (Gukurume, et al.; 2016:6).

5.3.3 What are the good and bad sides of Julius Malema’s leadership styles on youth aspirations?

Malema’s leadership style can be said to be both autocratic and transformational. Some of the participants stated that he is a potential dictator or tyrant. His autocratic leadership style is believed to be a threat to continuity in his party without him.

Some participants defended his leadership styles indicating that, for a young political party as the EFF and in a country like South Africa, which is in transition, there is need a hard-hand leadership style that will drive transformation even when it is unfavourable to some. Bolden (2009:10) points out that a more assertive leadership style is sometimes needed in order to protect the interest and image of an organisation or citizen. This is because a leader should take an unpopular stance at times in order to achieve objectives that are beneficial to the larger constituencies, though usually this can only be tolerable during period of radical change and socio-economic instability (Webster, 2016). A party without a leader who shows a clear direction will not be sustainable as discipline is the key (Bolden, 2009:10). Most participants pointed out that

76 an authoritarian leadership style may be required to ensure and maintain discipline. According to other participants, Malema has an uncontrollable passion, which has made him make announcements and take decisions without thoroughly examining their possible impacts.

Malema is one of the country’s most influential politicians, who has positioned himself well within the disenfranchised youth, who feel dissatisfied with the yields of a new democracy (Akinola et al; 2015:109). His impact was also acknowledged by many participants, who noted that Malema has been an influence that could not be ignored, whether by his supporters or by his detractors. He will undoubtedly remain part of the political landscape and history of the country. Participants stressed that Malema is unapologetic about the expropriation of land without compensation and the nationalisation of mines, and further expressed the need to redistribute wealth among Africans.

The politician is hated and loved by many (Crowell, 2012:48). In spite of this, everyone is aware of what he stands for as a leader and that he has been unapologetic about it. The youth feel more represented in parliament through Julius Malema’s youthful political party representation in parliament. Free education, youth participation in politics, land reform and wealth redistribution, and a transformed economy have been the issues persistently raised by youth responders when asked about their aspirations. These issues are resonated with Julius Malema’s party manifesto and with what he has always emphasised while in the ANCYL.

The common aspirations of South Africans as highlighted by participants in focus groups include the integration of the youth into economic activities, the decolonisation of the education system, an economy wholly owned by Africa, land and wealth redistribution, and united Africa without xenophobia. Participants understood the challenges facing South Africa and Africa at large, which are still under the haunting effect of colonialism. They also emphasised the need to be included in decision-making, indicating that as the youth they are conscious of the role they need to play. The participants’ views on these issued were corroborated by Norgaard (2015:162), who conceded that the end of apartheid was only economically beneficial to the white community, who willingly traded off their political power for economic power.

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5.4. Study Limitations

Although this study presents some notable strengths, its main limitation resides in its problematic transferability to other settings within and outside of South Africa. Firstly, samples for all the focus groups only consisted of black Africans and basically excluded other races like whites, Indians and Coloureds. Moreover, they were not representative of the various provinces and cultural groups in the country. This is because the aspirations of youth are mostly dependent on one’s background and challenges. In this issue, Walberg and Greenberg (1996:179) states that aspirations are stimulated by the current surrounding circumstance to work toward achieving those goals.

Akinola et al. (2015) posits that Julius Malema has established himself as someone trying to renew the black consciousness principles, which makes him more appealing to the black youth. Additionally, his party is advocating for better standards of living for previously disadvantaged groups. It is therefore for this reason that the transferability of the findings to other races might be problematic.

5.5. Identification of Areas for Future Research

Julius Malema remains one of the most misunderstood and controversial leaders in our era. His impulsion, inconsistency and unpredictability have made him an enemy to some and a hero to others. Additional studies should be conducted to explore how African leaders can transition from one leadership style to the other in order to remain relevant and for their leadership styles to be sustainable. Additionally, African leadership should be studied independently from the western leadership, as it emanates from a different philosophy.

5.6. Conceptual Framework

Conceptual framework is about integrating interrelated concepts or themes that emerged from the collected data and the literature review which represents a systematic view of the events by identifying relations among variables in order to make future predictions (Toendepi, 2017). The framework for this study indicates that each leadership style influences the way in which the awareness of a society is raised and how that eventually affects how the society reacts to certain issues (Inam-ul-Hassan et al. 2012). The findings of this study confirmed that various leadership styles serve

78 different purposes and their effectiveness is dependent on the situation of that organisation or state. It is also worth noting that the leader-follower relationship plays an important role in the leadership stance (Vondey, 2008:52). There is need for different leadership approaches in line with the needs and aspirations of followers, as effective leadership is dependent on the situation faced by the leader or opportunity that present itself (Da-Cruz et al; 2011:08).

5.7. Recommendations

The recommendations are proposed measures that can help Julius Malema to remain relevant and outlive his political career. They also give an idea of how different kinds of leadership can be used to drive transformation and increase citizens’ level of consciousness.

5.7.1. Recommendation 1: Ethical Leadership

In the study, most participants expressed some reservation as to the sincerity of Julius Malema’s ideas and intentions. It was clear that the public has lost much confidence in the authenticity of not only Julius Malema, but also of politicians at large. The corruption and tax evasion charges, which were brought against Malema in the early 2013 were the main concerns raised by participants. Additionally, his lavish lifestyle was questioned, foregrounding the fact that his character is what stands between him and reaching out to voters. Although corruption is rife around the globe, in emerging countries like South Africa, the impact is devastating as it impedes any progress towards economic growth and equality.

Recommendation: It is therefore recommended that leaders like Julius Malema should live by example. There is need for transparency in all their dealings with the state in order to promote anti-corruption practices and leave behind a lasting legacy. They should practice ethical leadership, which is concerned with one being responsible over their own personal actions, because an individual who fails to lead self cannot be able to lead others (Ross, 2014:300). Therefore, it is crucial for leaders to understand themselves and master self- knowledge (Dhiman, 2011:73).

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5.7.2. Recommendation 2: Leadership Style

The leadership style used is the most crucial factor in determining the direction and the success of any organisation or country. Most participants raised a great concern regarding the leadership style of Julius Malema, many of whom have indicated that he is an autocratic leader. Anwar et al. (2015:04) agrees that autocratic leadership style usually yields great results, but only for the short term, as with excessive usage, followers tend to get more dissatisfied or demotivated; thereby, offsetting the effectiveness of this leadership style.

Recommendation: Julius Malema like many other African leaders need to adopt a leadership style that instils confidence in the ordinary citizens. There is no single most appropriate leadership style that can bring sustainability and breed good results for an emerging country like South Africa. However, contingent leadership approaches are more effective because different leadership models should be chosen based on the specific decision-making or course of action, which would yield the best results for that particular situation (Malos, 2012:416).

5.7.3. Recommendation 3: Youth Public Participation

Public participation serves as the foundation of a larger pyramid that can increase accountability and bringing long term sustainability of democracy (Norgaard, 2015:236). Leadership does not exist in vacuum and for an effective leadership to occur, a great emphasis should be placed on the leader-follower relationship, which is about understanding the need of the followers (Solomon, 2016). Public participation is a fundamental component of good governance (Toendepi, 2017:14), as it enables individuals to make contributions and take ownership of the country’s direction through policy implementations (IDEA, 2015:1) The youth are particularly important as they are the future, the realisation of which raises their social consciousness and improves their level of commitment to being patriotic citizens (Sethibe & Steyn, 2015:330). The key to transformation is raising the consciousness of followers about a collective interest and its achievement a common goal.

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5.7.4. Recommendation 4: Shared Leadership

The possible lack of continuity in Malema’s party has been raised by quite a number of participants, who felt that Malema is the only vibrant, fearless and outspoken leader. The possible fear is that the whole leadership is resting on him, thereby making it unsustainable.

Recommendation: Leaders should breed leaders with same value and shared goals to ensure continuity within organisations. Therefore shared leadership is without a doubt a critical element in the continuity of organisational goals, as well as continued collaboration and commitment to the course (Toendepi, 2017).

5.8. Conclusion

The findings indicate that Malema has ignited a spark of consciousness, courage and a sense of action among the youth. This supports the view that he has enabled youth participation on various platforms, not limited to voting. Malema has made an impact through his calls for the need to address the issues at hand. However, there are concerns that his leadership traits are not sustainable beyond the era of radical transformation. This confirms Anwar et al.'s (2015:04) and Nanjundeswaras and Swamy's (2014:59) findings that this kind of leadership style usually yields great results in the short term, but, with excessive usage, it leads to follower dissatisfaction and demotivation. It can be argued that Malema’s ability to envision and craft a new approach should not be under-estimated because he has been able to resuscitate his political career when most thought he was done.

Judging by his political journey, it is appears that Malema understands the political landscape of South Africa and will still be able to leverage any situational changes, which may enable him to adapt his approaches accordingly to sustain his relevance within the political sphere. Malema has been able to speak to the souls of youth South Africans by raising their consciousness on issues affecting South Africa and Africa as a whole. The extent to which he continues to be able to influence the national political landscape, most notably the participation of the youth in the current affairs, remains to be seen (Akinola et al., 2015:104).

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This study has shown that the post-1994 youth have defied and proven false any view that regarded them as the lost generation. They have done this by their effort to force government to address long awaited issues affecting the youth. The issues as highlighted during the interviews are all mentioned in the EFF’s election manifesto, which Malema also raised while he was the president of the ANCYL. Malema launched the “Economic Freedom in our lifetime” slogan, which he also draws from the freedom charter. The youth have not only brought the issue of affordable education to the step door of the government, but they have also raised the need for the decolonisation of education and addressing the lingering legacy of apartheid as a whole. Young people have called for an end to all inequalities in the country (Tracey & Kahuthia, 2017:2-3) and they have taken the lead in most protests in South Africa (Müller, 2019:5), mostly due to the lack of prospects for the youth.

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ANNEXURE A: RESEARCH JOURNEY

Introduction

This part of the report outlines a journey that I undertook during this Master of Philosophy research from when selecting the research topic for the study, constructing questions to pose during data collection, the research proposal and eventually delivering on this research discussing the challenges encountered as a researcher. I also reflect closely on my role as a researcher during the research process looking at the leadership spectrum and other people’s leadership narratives on the concept of leadership and their ideal leader.

Personal Reflection

During our orientation week for postgraduate study which took place on the first week of February 2017 at the Sunnyside Park Hotel, our course leader Prof. M Hewitt highlighted few points that postgraduate students should avoid in order to succeed in completing their studies. Among those issues she highlighted, there are two of those that are relevant to myself and the first one was that as a postgraduate student one needs to avoid starting a family while busy with your studies and secondly, one needs to avoid changing jobs during the period.

The highlighted two issues were my major distractions. Just two weeks after the orientation programme we discovered my fiancé was pregnant and 12 months later after completing my coursework, I also changed jobs. So, among other personal journeys that I had to travel, those two have events cannot be overlooked when highlighting my journey throughout this study, and I made it with the support of my family and my amazing supervisor Dr Joyce Toendepi who has been patient throughout. Other major unfortunate events that took place were two car accidents that I was involved in with one taking place in March, the second one took place in September. In February 2018, my fiancé was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety, which resulted in her leaving her job, this affected our financial wellbeing as this was an unplanned event. These events affected my concentration and I was even on the verge of taking a break from my studies, but my supervisor was very supportive.

The most painful even in during the period was when I lost my little sister while was trying to wrap up my last chapter in August 2019 whose death was unexpected and left

96 me and my family with so many unanswered questions. In looking back, I realised how amazing those surround me have been that I was able to complete.

My research journey has given me an opportunity to engage with some of the sharp minds and amazing individuals who were very helpful during my study. Among most notable moments during this journey was the frustration I experience in coordinating the focus group sessions and a resilient spirit that I had to learn as I would continuously send emails even when majority of the sampled participants I invited never responded.

I have realised that there is limited leadership study in Africa that focus on individual traits and this was a clear indication that leadership in an African context will continue to be misunderstood. For as long as leadership studies that focus on African beliefs and culture are not explored, we will continually diagnose the right problem but offering the wrongs solutions.

If there is one thing that I have learned throughout this journey is that conducting research is not a quick and an easy process, it requires much patience, resilience and most importantly discipline. This journey could not have never been realised if it was not for the support of my supervisor, friends, family and most importantly God.

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ANNEXURE B: Research Study Information Letter

DEPARTMENT OF IPPM

RESEARCH STUDY INFORMATION LETTER

15 December 2017

Good Day

My name is Mochu Mazwi I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE in a research study on The effect of Julius Malema’s leadership style on the aspirations of south African youth

Before you decide on whether to participate, please read through this letter. The study is part of a research project being completed as a requirement for a Masters in Philosophy in Management (Leadership in Emerging Countries) Leadership in Emerging Countries) through the University of Johannesburg.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY is to explore how Julius Malema’s leadership style influences the youth decision to take interest and participate in the public affairs of this country.

I have compiled a set of questions and answers (below) that I believe will assist you in understanding the relevant details of participation in this research study. Please read through these. If you have any further questions I will be happy to answer them for you.

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DO I HAVE TO TAKE PART? No, you don’t have to. It is up to you to decide to participate in the study. I will describe the study and go through this information sheet. If you agree to take part, I will then ask you to sign a consent form.

WHAT EXACTLY WILL I BE EXPECTED TO DO IF I AGREE TO PARTICIPATE? You will be expected to answer some questions during an interview session. These will be shared with you before the interview. You will be expected to answer some questions during an interview session. These will be shared with you before the interview. You will be expected to answer some questions during an interview session. These will be shared with you before the interview.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I WANT TO WITHDRAW FROM THE STUDY? If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw your consent at any time without giving a reason and without any consequences. If you wish to withdraw your consent, you must inform me as soon as possible.

IF I CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE, WILL THERE BE ANY EXPENSES FOR ME, OR PAYMENT DUE TO ME: You will not be paid for this study neither will you be expected to incur any expenses during this study. You will not be paid for this study neither will you be expected to incur any expenses during this study. You will not be paid for this study neither will you be expected to incur any expenses during this study.

RISKS INVOLVED IN PARTICIPATION: There are no anticipated risks involved during this study.

BENEFITS INVOLVED IN PARTICIPATION: the possible information sharing between the researcher and the participants

WILL MY PARTICIPATION IN THIS STUDY BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL? Yes. Names on the questionnaire/data sheet will be removed once analysis starts. All data and back-

99 ups thereof will be kept in password protected folders and/or locked away as applicable. Only I or my research supervisor will be authorised to use and/or disclose your anonymised information in connection with this research study. Any other person wishing to work with you anonymised information as part of the research process (e.g. an independent data coder) will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement before being allowed to do so.

OR

WILL MY TAKING PART IN THIS STUDY BE ANONYMOUS? Yes. Anonymous means that your personal details will not be recorded anywhere by me. As a result, it will not be possible for me or anyone else to identify your responses once these have been submitted.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH STUDY? The results will be written into a research report that will be assessed. In some cases, results may also be published in a scientific journal. In either case, you will not be identifiable in any documents, reports or publications. You will be given access to the study results if you would like to see them, by contacting me.

WHO IS ORGANISING AND FUNDING THE STUDY? The study is being organised by me, under the guidance of my research supervisor at the Department of Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management in the University of Johannesburg. The study has not received any funding.

WHO HAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED THIS STUDY? Before this study was allowed to start, it was reviewed in order to protect your interests. This review was done first by the Department of Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, and then secondly by the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee at the University of Johannesburg. In both cases, the study was approved.

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WHAT IF THERE IS A PROBLEM? If you have any concerns or complaints about this research study, its procedures or risks and benefits, you should ask me. You should contact me at any time if you feel you have any concerns about being a part of this study. My contact details are:

Mochu Mazwi

+27 74 454 0791

[email protected]

You may also contact my research supervisor:

Dr Joyce Toendepi [email protected]

FURTHER INFORMATION AND CONTACT DETAILS: Should you wish to have more specific information about this research project information, have any questions, concerns or complaints about this research study, its procedures, risks and benefits, you should communicate with me using any of the contact details given above.

Researcher:

Mochu Mazwi

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ANNEXURE C: Research Consent Form

DEPARTMENT OF IPPM

RESEARCH CONSENT FORM

THE EFFECT OF JULIUS MALEMA’S LEADERSHIP STYLE ON THE ASPIRATIONS OF SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH

Please initial each box below:

I confirm that I have read and understand the information letter dated 28th July 2016 for the above study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily.

I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw from this study at any time without giving any reason and without any consequences to me.

I agree to take part in the above study.

______

Name of Participant Signature of Participant Date

______

Name of Researcher Signature of Researcher Date

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ANNEXURE D: Consent form or interviews to be audio-taped

DEPARTMENT OF IPPM

RESEARCH CONSENT FORM OR INTERVIEWS TO BE AUDIO-TAPED

THE EFFECT OF JULIUS MALEMA’S LEADERSHIP STYLE ON THE ASPIRATIONS OF SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH

Please initial each box below:

I hereby give consent for my interview, conducted as part of the above study, to be audio-taped.

I understand that my personal details and identifying data will be changed in order to protect my identity. The audio tapes used for recording my interview will be destroyed two years after publication of the research.

I have read this consent form and have been given the opportunity to ask questions.

______

Name of Participant Signature of Participant Date

______

Name of Researcher Signature of Researcher Date

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ANNEXURE E: Interview Guide (Individuals)

Question

What drives Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom quest?

What informs Julius Malema’s ideas for economic freedom and are his ideas feasible?

What is Julius Malema’s leadership style?

Is Julius Malema’s leadership style sustainable?

How is his leadership style impacting on the idea for democratic country?

What is the influence that Julius Malema has on the youth as a leader and his mission?

In his resent comments, Julius Malema indicated that his party will withdraw from all the coalision with the DA if they don’t fire Hellen Zille for her colonialism statement, do you think not acting on it could be sign of maturity or he is an empty vessel.

What drives Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom quest?

Whom would you compare his leadership styles with either in South African or in the global context?

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ANNEXURE F: Interview Guide (Group Interviews)

Question

Please describe your ideal South Africa?

Did you vote in the previous elections, if you did what motivated you to?

Julius Malema and his party have been pushing for free education, nationalisation of mines and land reform policies. What is your view on that?

In your view, is Julius Malema’s sincere and realistic in his Economic Freedom quest?

If you were to vote for any political party in the next election, who would you vote for?

Does Julius Malema as a leader appeal to you and if so, what is it that appeals to you and if not why not?

How is his leadership style impacting on the idea for democratic country?

What is the influence that Julius Malema has on the youth as a leader and his mission?

What are South Africa’s Youth Aspirations?

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ANNEXURE G: Data Schedule

INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS PARTICIPANT KEY POINTS IP:SO  Malema fits well in the democracy as he is a representation of different views. Bring life into politics and understands the struggle of students.  His background and upbringing is a motivator for his drive for Economic Freedom  He understands the struggle and unlike many African leaders, he is clear on what he stands for.  He understands the history of this country, policy gaps and understand what it is needed to achieve the economic emancipation of the poor.  Peaceful change is impossible, hence not much has been achieved between 1994 and now.  Malema is closer to the people, the kind of radical leader South Africa needs and has raised conscious in everyone about issues of national importance  Malema has been able to generate self-belonging for the youth that felt marginalised and his message resonates with them.  Coalition with the DA was a political miscalculation for DA is a National Racism party  He is very accessible, influential and people driven as a leader.  Malema’s leadership is sustainable as he has stood the test of time, his ideologies are what can take SA forward and is strong enough to unite African leaders.  His leadership approach can be compared to that of Kwame Nkrumah and Che Guevara.  Sometimes you must step on people’s toes to be effective.  Malema is firm not a dictator, he exercises extreme discipline and has an appetite to lead. IP:CS  Julius Malema is capable controlling and energising crowd, and a good speaker.  Has been able to attract increased parliament channel viewership and has commanded attention of the marginalised youth. Young people are bolder.  Lead by example when emphasising the value of education which saw him obtaining Undergraduate and Honours degrees.  Talk to the current challenges and his stance as the EFF is clear, something he has been consistent even as ANCYL president.  He is necessary for a democratic country as encouraging participation directly or indirectly. Any country needs a courageous leader and he has been able to step up and confront racism and xenophobia while others were mum.  He has been able to conscientize the youth and has his pulse finger on the issues affecting youth since during high school, COSAS and ANCYL.  He tents to pre-announce things without thorough thought and consultation showing level of uncontrolled passion. They make decisions to punish the ANC.  He is serious about address the legacy of apartheid and wants to be a hero.  He centralises power, no succession plan, egocentric and not empowering others.  The sustainability of Julius Malema’s leadership is dependent on his ability to adjust with situation, shared power and responsibility, and empowering others

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as its dangerous to monopolise power. Politic is entrenched in him and he get more mature with time and experience.  His leadership can be compared to Mummar Ghaddafi, Peter Mokaba, Winnie Mandela, Fidel Castro and little bit of Thomas Sankara.

IP:MS  He is not a visionary; he started the EFF when he had nothing to loose but everything to gain. He is the right voice for the youth and address issues affecting the youth. He stance is informed by series of events in South Africa, even his rise to power.  His ideals are feasible but unrealistic in a sense that South Africa is dependent global economy and international community, which can result in situations such as Venezuela  His leadership style is not impacting much on the democracy of the country, he is brave to say what people are shying to say, arouses courage and relate to people.  He is influenced by the Freedom Charter and ideals of the Pan African Congress.  The EFF coalition shows the “art of the possible” in a sense that they forged unimaginable relationship with a party not resonating with their ideals.  Leadership style: Charismatic, militant, outspoken and disciplined. However, no succession plan and there is also possibility of tyrannical.  His leadership can be sustained as he has shown to be able to adapt and modify his leadership style (situational). IP:KM  He is visionary, engage people, straight to the point, voice of the poor and knowledgeable about challenges of the country and the marginalised.  Angry at apartheid, represent youth voices in parliament, practical solutions, lead by example on education  Feasibility: Yes, lot of money is lost through illicit flows and corruption.  Positive impact – youth represented, education given priority, not deviding but confront reality and also address land dispossession which is selfishness of white farmers.  Influence on youth: the youth can argue, reflect and debate issues affecting them without fear.  Maturity: He has matured, and DA coalition is an example of that.  Leadership style: Autocratic and dominant, forces discipline in party  Leadership style not sustainable: will need to look changes of the economy and align as such.  Leader like him: Donald Trump IP:TS  He is courageous and a force to reckon with, fearless, militant, king maker, irresponsible public statements and can articulate himself clearly. He is the voice of reason but considered unreasonable by the liberal consensus. But a wolf in a sheep skin.  the EFF does not have ideology of its own, it is informed by the freedom charter which shows their attachment to ANC (umbilical cord). Clear manifesto.  Ideas are feasible and practical, however those fearful of change create logic to make them unreasonable.  S.A has always been ready like any other post-colonial country, the need to address the previous injustice and colonial legacy.

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 Julius Malema has appealed to the youth and his ability to clearly pronounce radical transformation but his sudden change and contractions on the issue of land is leaving a gap.  Has attracted the attention of the youth and they understand the social struggles  His coalition with the DA is an example of them talking left while walking right.  Sustainability: he has proven to change with situation but change of ideological path render one to wonder how trusted they can be. Also his autocratic style threatens continuity, this has been seen with Andile Mngcixama and other who left. IP:MT  Julius Malema is the epidote of an African Leader. Never shifted on values from those he stood for in the ANC. Involve the youth. Has established and build a strong party. Raised consciousness on racial, land and economic issue. However, is far extreme with his ideas. He is well informed  Emancipation of black people in poverty and bringing equality  He sounds like a potential dictator and does not like compromising.  Has a long-term vision, speak for the youth, motivate youthful energy, forces everyone to engage.  He has matured and can adjust to situations accordingly  Coming from poverty and seeing inequality between whites and black is what motivates him.  Authoritarian leadership style  Sustainable as he understands his audience and there are no grey areas with him  Youth Aspirations: influences, equality, employment and accessible education.  Mummar Ghaddafi and Robert Mugabe as they are unapologetic, want best for everyone, are extremist. IP:TM  He is the kind of person needed to shake things up, but he is too radical for this country or for this period.  Understands what people want, understands the political sphere and can easily sell a dream to the masses. His ideas are feaseable but some are just too unrealistic, specifically the opening or boarders.  He has forced the youth to reflect on their role and understands our role as youth. Have been very ignorant of the role of politics before.  He is both an autocratic and transformational leader  He is a doer and makes things happen.  His current leadership style is not sustainable but its what is needed to bring change  He is bit of Nelson Mandela and Robert Mugabe. FOCUS GROUPS DISCUSSIONS Group 1 GR1P3  South Africa needs an African based solution which includes decolonised education and economy focusing on Africa  We need to revisit some of the CODESA agreements and reflect on them.  Julius Malema is the voice of truth and confront the uncomfortable truth.  The EFF sounds sincere in its ideas but some are not practical, but they are African based ideas which seek to unite Africa  we need a transformed economy that will benefit everyone and not only those already rich but also the poor

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 EFF boosted confidence of most black by arousing black consciousness and attracted young people to watch parliament proceedings  People use race card on Julius Malema because he is threatening their benefits by pushing for equality. GR1P4  South Africa should build a more self-sufficient economy which will minimise the effect of global economic crisis.  The youth is not involved in most issues of public importance which includes but not limited to politic and economic participation.  It is a great concern to see an increasing inequality in the country  Malema is merely fighting for a long promise of South Africans contained in the Freedom Charter and his fighting spirit can be compared to that of Nelson Mandela  The EFF has not proven itself though as the ideal party due to corruption scandals and even the role of the SRC in Wits is questionable.  The presence of EFF in parliament has however brought transparency, promote education, youth participation and they interact with people.  Malema as a leader is fighting for equality for blacks and the EFF is very clear in its manifesto GR1P2  Inequality should be prioritised through revisiting of the previous policies such as BEE, EE and issue of education.  South Africa should stop depending on handouts  The Youth should be involved in the economic activities and not just as employees  There are good policies in the country but there is no implementation  Economically people are still segregated, and this is not promoting inclusiveness  Malema has given hope to those lost hope in the ANC and to people of Marikana  His Party is the only party advocating for education and leading by example  He is an ideal African leader as he seeks to strengthen inter-continental relations and has been advocating for free education.  All great leaders were once criticised because of lack of fear of change and he will also be remembered in history as a great leader. GR1P1  African needs to be united and with same currency, its not nice to look prospering while other countries in poverty  Wealth needs to be distributed evenly  Julius Malema stood up and voice challenges facing many people in the country unlike other ANCYL presidents.  Believes that people should stop voting for a party but vote for a leader as this can change political landscape and force accountability GR1P7  South Africa need to limit exporting raw material, this will help create jobs.  Many things were said to be in plan but there has not been much implementation, so we need to move from mere planning but to implementation  We cannot continue to ignore the land issue which is also affecting the economy  The EFF focus on practical examples of the struggle faced by youth such as unemployment, free education and cost of data bundles.  the fight for equality will continue for as long as blacks in the elite or middle class disconnect themselves from the fight for equality.

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Group 2

GR2P1  Naturally intellectually gifted.  Julius Malema has matured as a leader from since introduction to public politics  He understands the issues that affect the youth and seek to aspire the youth. GR2P5  Understands political landscape, charismatic, youth needs and speak for them.  Combination of autocratic and democratic  Fine line between him as a leader and him as an individual  His leadership is situational, depends on situation.  Has motivated and brought confidence in the youth GR2P  Forced the youth to get exposed to information and study their history  He is too radical in ideas  He is not a fan of political consensus GR2P  Encourage education by being a living example.  Africa cannot have democracy with poverty, we need to deal with poverty first.  Has a vision of creating a Pan African State  Can be compared to Che Guevara GR2P  He is the only leader who opened most youth eyes  He is the kind that can unite Africa  He impressively made an impact in the PAN African parliament on his first visit  Just like Thabo Mbeki, he is autocratic, but he needs to learn from the old in approaching situations. Group 3 GR3P2  Julius Malema understand the kind of approach to use as needed, whether calm or with fighting spirit.  He has been able to force the ANC to work towards the freedom charter objectives  Believe Julius Malema has changed his corrupt ways as he learned when the ANC rejected him. GR3P5  Maybe SA needs a rich leader like Cyril Ramaphosa, maybe he will not loot.  The youth needs to be engaged and to achieve than we need youthful leaders.  Julius Malema had positive in parliament as he forced Zuma to pay back the money, brought issue of land redistribution in the discourse and advocated free education GR3P7  South Africa needs a female president to show its commitment to equality  We need a leader who we can trust and who puts the need of the country first  Julius Malema has a potential to be a good leader, but he leads with anger which can see our country collapse like Zimbabwe.  His previous corruption cases make him questionable on whether he has changed because a “corrupt leader will always be corrupt”.  Julius Malema is the only ANCYL president they know  Julius Malema looks like he has dictatorship tendencies like Robert Mugabe  He has cost SA lot of money through his party conduct in parliament as they had to hire more security. GR3P8  We need a leadership that would bring about positive change in the education system, to at least bring about resources for public schools as those of private.  The problem is the EFF use violence in their approach.  Malema might continue with corruption

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 However, we need to be cruel than kind in achieving some of the long overdue objectives. GR3P10  Julius Malema brought a sense of belonging and pride to the youth  The voices of the youth are represented in parliament  Since Julius Malema departure from the ANCYL, it is as good as dead.  Julius Malema has been able to challenge the ANC in parliament  Can argue his case impressively well  Argues that Julius Malema still yearn to be back in the ANC

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