Julius Malema on a dustbin!

This morning I dressed up smartly. It was one of those days where I knew ahead of time what story I would be covering and could therefore dress appropriately. I was going to cover the launch of the global report on Trafficking in Persons released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. It was all very civilized and elegant with the programme set to take place in an auditorium at Unisa followed by a break for refreshments. Quite lovely!

And then it all went pear-shaped. I got ripped off that story and sent instead to cover a protest at the airport. That not-so eloquent and not-so elegant youth leader, Julius Malema, was going to address the striking workers. Not quite so lovely!

So off I headed with PhotojournoSA to Airways Park . We were suitably early, eventually found a crowd all being raucous in a carpark and figured this must be the spot. Indeed we were correct, I found after speaking to one union rep named Stones. Fantastic.

So we sat down in the hot sun and waited for the man himself to appear. A mere 40 minutes or so after the scheduled start of the address “young” Julius was lifted onto his podium: an upside down dustbin, I swear to God.

He removed his apricot jacket and stood there in a pale yellow shirt and addressed the crowds, offering his sympathies.

“You are here to sell your labour and someone else benefits from your sweaty,” he told the dozens in front of him.

He electioneered, he jeered and he rebuked yet another government minister. It was less than a week ago that he said Naledi Pandor – she of the hot-potatoe British accent – was a spoilt minister with a fake American accent. Today he said Brigitte Mabandla was not doing her job either as she had not personally come to the airport to speak to these specific protestors about their woes. Maybe he’s going to get into trouble again.

I can only hope.