Malema graduated from Mohlakaneng High School, Seshego, Limpopo. In 2010, he completed a two-year diploma in youth development through the University of South Africa (UNISA). In 2011, he enrolled at UNISA for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and African Languages, and graduated in March 2016. In 2017, he obtained a BA (Honours) in Philosophy from UNISA. He is currently studying for a Master's degree at the University of the Witwatersrand.
On 3 April 2010, Malema visited Zimbabwe, in what was described as a visit on indigenisation. He was expected to meet the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. Upon landing in Harare, Malema was greeted by Zanu-PF supporters as well as Zimbabwe's Youth and Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, and ZANU-PF Youth Chairman Absolom Sikhosana, as well as Zimbabwean business figures who had risen to prominence in recent years.
On 8 April 2010, at a Johannesburg media briefing covering his visit to Zimbabwe, Malema was involved in an incendiary incident with Jonah Fisher, a BBC journalist. Malema had been criticising the Movement for Democratic Change for having offices in affluent Sandton, when BBC journalist Jonah Fisher commented that Malema himself lived in Sandton. Malema lashed out at Fisher after the latter dismissed Malema's comments as rubbish.
On 10 April 2010, at a news conference in Durban, where he characterised Malema's conduct as "alien to the ANC", President Jacob Zuma publicly criticised Malema's behaviour saying "the manner in which a BBC journalist was treated at an ANC Youth League press conference is regrettable and unacceptable, regardless of any alleged provocation on his part", and said he had spoken to Malema about his conduct by telephone. Malema remained defiant after Zuma's rebuke.
On 18 April 2010, it was reported that Malema faced disciplinary procedures by the ANC for bringing it and the government into disrepute. The charges related to:
Malema faced a "hostile" disciplinary committee on 3 May 2010. On 11 May 2010, Malema entered into a plea bargain, and three of the charges against him were dropped (the attack on the BBC journalist, his endorsement of Mugabe, and his singing of "Shoot the Boer" after it was banned). He pleaded guilty to criticising Zuma after Zuma publicly censured him, and was ordered by the disciplinary committee to make a public apology for his conduct, fined R10,000 which was to be donated to a youth development project, and to attend anger management classes. He was also warned of suspension from the ANC if he re-offended within two years. Malema complied, apologising "unconditionally", stating that he accepted that his "conduct and public utterances should at all times reflect respect and restraint".
He then advocated the seizure of land without compensation and the removal of the "willing buyer, willing seller" principle. At a 16 June Youth Day celebration, Malema accused white South Africans of "stealing land" and again advocated for the redistribution of land without compensation. In April 2010 Malema led a youth delegation to Venezuela to study that country's nationalisation programme.
In early 2010, Malema urged ANC Youth League members to join the South African National Defence Force, and said that there were plans for the Youth League leadership to join the reservist programme. The military training was confirmed in May 2010, with the naval training due to commence in September 2010.
In March 2010, in what was widely held to be a rebuke of Malema, the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) lashed out at the "new culture of public feuds, insults and personal attacks" and adopted a policy of disciplining those who became involved in public disputes with members of the governing ANC-SACP-COSATU alliance.
Malema's bid for a second term as Youth League president received a boost in 2010 when a number of Eastern Cape ANC Youth League regional conferences in the Eastern Cape elected candidates remained loyal to him, although there were some allegations of irregularities from Malema's opponents.
In March 2010, addressing the allegations at a rally at a university campus, Malema, sang the struggle song "shoot the Boer" (see below), and lashed out at opposition politicians. He attacked COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. In August 2010, the Public Protector released a report which cleared Malema of involvement in state tenders in Limpopo. The report was received with scepticism in some quarters.
On 15 March 2010, Malema was convicted of hate speech by the Equality Court of South Africa, fined R50 000 and ordered to apologise unconditionally, following a 2009 incident when he told a group of Cape Town students at a South African Students' Congress (SASCO) meeting that the woman who accused President Zuma of rape had a "nice time" with him because in the morning she had "requested breakfast and taxi money".
In March 2010, at a rally on a university campus Malema sang the lyrics "shoot the Boer" (Dubul' ibhunu) from the anti-apartheid song "Ayasab' amagwala" (The cowards are scared). "Boer" is the Afrikaans word for "farmer", but is also used as a term for any Afrikaans-speaking white person. His singing was compared to similar chants by deceased Youth League leader Peter Mokaba in the early 1990s, to "kill the Boer", which had previously been defined as hate speech by the South African Human Rights Commission. Malema's singing of the song led to a barrage of complaints against him, both to the police, and to the commission. The ANC said "We wouldn't appreciate any statements against any member of our society, including whites... they are also South Africans", however, it "had not taken a decision in the matter".
The South Gauteng High Court ruled on 26 March 2010 that the song (which Malema had continued singing at public gatherings) was "unconstitutional and unlawful", and that any person singing it could face charges of incitement to murder, stating that the song called for the killing of the "farmer/white man"; however the ANC defended the song. The ANC announced it would appeal the ruling.
On 1 April 2010, the North Gauteng High Court granted an interdict preventing Malema from publicly uttering the words of this or any other song which could be considered to be "instigating violence, distrust and/or hatred between black and white citizens in the Republic of South Africa" until the matter was heard by the Equality Court, to which the case was referred by the presiding judge.
Between 2010 and 2013 popular media have referred to the Malema Dilemma to describe the duality between Malema's electoral popularity and the consequences of his controversial statements.