Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema says he grew up without the knowledge of who his real father was however a number of people have claimed to be his dad.

Malema said he did not get the privilege of spending quality time with his father like other normal kids with both parents do.

Malema was born and grew up in Seshego, Transvaal Province now known as Limpopo.

His mother was a domestic worker and a single parent.

Julius said his mother died almost 10 years ago and grew up under the care of his grandmother Sarah.

He joined the African National Congress’s Masupatsela at the age of nine or ten. His main task at the time, was to remove National Party posters.

At the age of 14 Malema was elected as both chairperson of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) branch in Seshego and the regional chair in 1995. Two years later in 1997, he became the chair of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) for the Limpopo province.

He went to Mohlakaneng High School in Limpopo where he made repeated attempts to complete his education.

On 4 May 2019, on the eve of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ final rally ahead of the 8th May South African General Elections, Malema’s grandmother, Koko Sarah, who brought him up following the death of his mother, died after a short illness.