THE iconic and highly regarded Nelson Mandela is a great man who broke new ground in establishing what he saw as the foremost constituent of rebuilding this country - peace.

Unfortunately, as politics have developed a tint of mind games, as everything criminally influenced does, we have had to bear with the outlandish likes of Julius Malema.

Malema thinks he is also iconic at addressing issues concerning the country, among others racism. But he does not have the answers to South Africans' problems. He is a diversion. The jester who dances on stage while the pickpockets walk among you, stealing the little you have.

That is why his seniors let him run around freely in an obviously unjustifiable manner. The more he has you fuming and looking the other way, the more rewards he receives from those whose interests he serves.

His irregular assets will testify to this. It's the oldest trick in the book. The "you create a diversion and I'll get away with it while they're not looking" routine.

The fact that our president, his superior, allows him to get away with his behaviour should be alarming to any citizen.

That our government resorts to these distractive mind games is a direct reflection of its competency.

It is also very distressing that there are people willing to follow Malema's masquerade and who see him as a leader.

Real leaders are easy to follow, do not appear weekly in newspapers as a result of misconduct and are admired because of what they stand for.

Malema stands for conflict.

Tshepo Tshabalala, Pretoria