Malema opens up about trauma of growing up with his epileptic mother

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Opens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowEnter fullscreen mode displaying this image.ExpandEFF Leader Julius Malema. Picture: Freddy Mavunda © Business Day Story audio is generated using AI

EFF leader Julius Malema has opened up about the difficulties of growing up with his mother, Flora Mahlodi Malema, who suffered from severe epilepsy.

Speaking in a recent episode of the Motherhood Network podcast, the 45-year-old Seshego-born leader reflected on his childhood and family background.

He revealed that he was one of three children born to his mother, two girls and a boy. His older sister passed away shortly before he was born. Because the family was still grieving, he was named “Sello” (meaning grief or tears).

Malema explained that, according to family tradition, he was originally supposed to be named Leshole after his mother’s uncles. Ultimately, he took the names Julius and Sello because of the period of mourning surrounding his sister’s death. Later, when he was just one or two years old, his younger sister was born, but she died shortly thereafter.

Although he was his mother’s only surviving child, Malema grew up in his grandmother’s four-room house alongside his cousins, whom he considered his brothers and sisters. His grandmother raised nine children of her own and many grandchildren under the same roof.

Malema described his mother as a staunch Christian who was sometimes difficult to deal with due to her medical condition.

“My mother was a staunch Christian, very unreasonable,” Malema said. “She was epileptic, and when she didn’t take her medication, she would get severe epilepsy attacks.”

He recalled the difficulty of watching her condition unfold, admitting that he would panic even when she spoke to him while standing, fearing she might collapse, fall on her face, and injure herself.

“Sometimes her teeth would come out, and she would be injured,” he recalled. “As a child, neighbours would call you to say she had collapsed on the road. When you arrived, she would be exposed because of the dress she was wearing. As a young boy, you had to go and cover her up and dress her.

“You can imagine… among your peers, you became a joke. It was a deeply embarrassing moment.”

While his grandmother initially tried to shield him from those traumatic situations, Malema eventually had to take over as his grandmother aged.

“My grandmother always tried to prevent me from going, so that she could handle it herself. But as she got older, it became more difficult, and I had to take on that responsibility.”

He explained that one of the biggest challenges was his mother’s habit of throwing away her medication whenever she felt better, leading to severe relapses.

Malema also recounted a dramatic incident where his mother stabbed someone with a pair of scissors during an episode and returned home as if nothing had happened. When he confronted her and asked if she wasn’t afraid of dying, her unbothered response left a lasting impression on him.

“She told me she wasn’t afraid of death, saying: ‘I’ve got two dates on earth: my birth date and my death date. They are both chosen by God. If you see me die, just know that God has set that date.’”

In addition to her health struggles, Malema spoke about his mother’s strict stance against alcohol, drugs and criminal activity, saying that even his friends knew to avoid involving him in such behaviour.

He recalled a time when he came home drunk and tried to hide from her.

“She asked me one question: ‘Sello, are you drunk?’ I said yes, and she started crying. She was extremely disappointed and prayed that I wouldn’t drink alcohol.”

Malema’s political journey started at the age of nine. He rose through the ANC Youth League leadership and was elected president at the age of 28. He was expelled from the party in 2012, leading him to form his own political party, the EFF in 2013.

Throughout his career, Malema has been open about his upbringing, including the absence of his father, whom he has never met and feels no need to meet.

“I’ve never known my father, and I don’t see the need to, because I am a father now,” Malema said. “I can’t say I’m an orphan because I am a father to my three boys and to the members of the EFF. I am a father of the nation. Instead of mourning not having a father, I am fathering people — so I don’t see the need.”

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