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Julius Malema mourns the loss of grandfather Ishe Rufus “Popies” Malema
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema is mourning the death of his grandfather, Ishe Rufus “Popies” Malema, who the party has described as both a devoted family patriarch and a committed member of the red beret movement.
The passing of Popies Malema was announced by the EFF in a statement issued on Tuesday, in which the party paid tribute to a man it said played an instrumental role in both the Malema family and the organisation’s journey.
The EFF said it stands in full support of Malema and his loved ones during this difficult period.
“Their grief is shared by the entire EFF family,” the party said.
According to the party, Popies Malema was the cornerstone of the Malema family, providing wisdom, guidance and unwavering encouragement to his grandson throughout his political career.
The EFF revealed that following the death of Julius Malema’s grandmother in 2019, Popies took on an even greater responsibility within the family, becoming both a grandfather and grandmother figure while continuing to offer constant love and support.
The party also reflected on his visible support for Malema during some of his most challenging moments, recalling that he regularly attended the EFF leader’s court appearances.
According to the statement, he stood firmly beside his grandson because of his unwavering belief in Malema’s integrity, leadership and commitment to the struggle.
Beyond his role within the family, the EFF praised Popies Malema for his dedication to the party and its mission of achieving economic freedom for South Africans.
“He actively embodied the EFF’s mission, showing that the fight for land, dignity and economic justice is one worth pursuing until the end,” the statement read.
The party thanked Julius Malema for sharing his grandfather with the movement, saying his wisdom, prayers and steadfast commitment had made a lasting contribution to the organisation.
“As we mourn, we also celebrate a life dedicated to family, principles and the liberation of our people. His spirit will remain an integral part of the EFF,” the party said.
The EFF concluded by extending its heartfelt condolences to Julius Malema, the Malema family, their extended relatives and everyone whose lives were touched by the late Ishe Rufus “Popies” Malema.
Economy
Vegetables disappear from South African plates when winter hits
As temperatures drop, breakfasts become toast instead of tomatoes, lunches lean towards bread and soup, and hearty dinners replace lighter meals. It’s an entirely human response to winter, but one that can leave vegetables falling further down the shopping list.
Every winter, South Africans naturally gravitate towards warm, comforting meals, but in the process, vegetables are often the first thing to disappear from the plate. Tenderstem® broccoli believes the solution isn’t convincing people to abandon comfort food but making it easier to build vegetables into the meals they’re already cooking. Convenience is the real fix: making the healthy choice the easy one. It is the thinking behind an approach that encourages South Africans to include quick-cooking vegetables such as Tenderstem® broccoli, which needs only a few minutes to prepare and can be added straight into meals already on the stove, rather than requiring a separate dish of their own.
Cold weather tends to draw us towards warm, filling foods, with bread, pasta and other carbohydrate-heavy favourites often becoming the easiest choice. The problem is not the comfort food. It is what gets pushed aside to make room for it.
The nutritional data reflects this pattern. According to South Africa’s National Nutrition Week, adults in this country already consume an average of around 230g of fruit and vegetables daily, which is just 58% of the internationally recommended 400g intake. That is the baseline in any season. In winter, when lighter meals feel less appealing and hot, filling food becomes the natural choice, vegetables can become even easier to overlook.
Diets low in fruit and vegetables are associated with a greater risk of non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Winter also coincides with South Africa’s flu season, making a varied diet especially relevant. Vitamin C and folate both contribute to normal immune function and can be found in a range of fresh vegetables.
The answer does not require complicated dietary changes or extra time in the kitchen. It starts with building greens into the meals people are already eating.
Start the week differently
One practical way to improve winter nutrition is to remove the daily decision. A vegetable egg bake or frittata, prepared on a Sunday evening and portioned into the fridge, provides a filling breakfast containing protein, vegetables and fibre for several days. On a cold weekday morning, having something ready to reheat makes the nutritious choice the convenient one.
Brassica greens work particularly well in this format because they hold their texture when baked and release less water than softer vegetables such as courgette or spinach. Tenderstem® broccoli can be added whole, requires no trimming and is edible from floret to stem. Fold a generous handful into whisked eggs, add cheese if desired and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Once portioned, it can be reheated in minutes.
It also answers a familiar winter problem. Breakfast often defaults to buttered toast, cereal or a rusk when the weather is cold and time is short. Preparing a vegetable-based protein option in advance changes that routine without adding pressure to the morning.
Add to what you already cook
Quick-cooking green vegetables can be added to soups, curries and lentil dishes in the final few minutes of cooking, making them an easy part of familiar winter meals.
The key is to choose a vegetable that holds its texture, works with robust flavours and requires little preparation. Tenderstem® broccoli cooks in three to five minutes and can be used from floret to stem. Add it to a butter chicken or lamb curry shortly before serving, stir it through soup or place it in a roasting tray with the roast for the final ten minutes of cooking. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can make room for a few green stems.
Each option fits into a meal that is already being prepared, without requiring a separate dish or additional washing up. An 80g serving counts as one of your five-a-day and is high in vitamin C and folate, which contribute to normal immune function. It also provides fibre, potassium and vitamin B6. “People do not stop caring about nutrition in winter. They choose food that feels warm, filling and manageable. The easiest way to keep vegetables on the menu is to build them into those familiar meals rather than treating them as a separate side dish,” explains Elise Ruddle, Chef and Nutritionist, South African brand representative for Tenderstem®.
Winter eating does not need to become a contest between comfort and nutrition. The more realistic answer is to make vegetables part of the comfort food itself. When greens belong in the curry, soup, breakfast bake or toasted sandwich, eating them no longer depends on anyone feeling virtuous.
