Julius Malema, the President of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) is no stranger to controversy. In fact, many would argue it is what he thrives on. He is regarded by some as the voice of impoverished youth in South Africa. By others, he is the personification of the failings of black economic empowerment and the man that will ultimately turn South Africa into Zimbabwe. Whatever Julius represents, one fact remains – he sells! Every time Julius Malema speaks or acts – the media (mainstream or otherwise) erupt.

May 19th was no different. After surviving a disciplinary hearing by the ANC, being coerced into making an apology to the nation and being made to attend anger management classes,Julius Malema seems to have turned over a new leaf. On that day, Julius attended an ANCYL conference in KwaZulu Natal and instead of singing his trademark “Shoot the Boer”, which was banned by the South Gauteng High Court, he sang “Kiss the Boer”. Delegates sang along as Malema danced around the stage, repeating the lyric “kiss the boer”.

I kept a watchful eye on the blogosphere and twittersphere thereafter and as usual, it did not disappoint.

XcellenceKasie asked,

julius malema is now singing kiss the boer kiss the farmer….who is being fooled here…?

AlexKlusman has another.

Julius Malema overheard singing ‘Kiss the boer’ at ANC YL conference in KZN. Is this what anger management lessons do to you?

Tokyogrooveband takes Julius’s new song in a positive light:

Good on you Julius Malema Kiss The Boer

The satire was not lost on hayibo who amused:

A day after Julius Malema sang “Kiss the boer, kiss the farmer”, panic-stricken ultra-straight macho South African farmers say the prospect of being snogged by Julius Malema is worse than death.

“Murder is murder but moffies (heterosexuals) are Satan's handmaidens,” said a spokesman, urging farmers to hide cyanide capsules under their tongues “in case he tries Frenching us”.

The ANC Youth League president is appearing increasingly desperate as he fades from the headlines and meets increasing resistance both from his organisation and his elasticated trousers.

Julius Malema’s motives may be questionable but Khaya Dlanga sums it up best:

I really don’t think that you have been any more or less outrageous than the previous presidents. The only difference is that they lived in a different time, an era before Instant News — before the era of the internet, Facebook and Twitter. The news is more instant than instant coffee now.

Finally, what does Google think of Julius Malema?