Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Pretoria - The re-election of President Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC leader has irritated EFF leader Julius Malema, who has vowed to prevent him from speaking in Parliament again.
Malema was addressing delegates at the third EFF provincial people’s assembly in Polokwane, Limpopo, on Monday.
This was hours after ANC electoral commission chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe announced Ramaphosa as the re-elected president of the party.
Paul Mashatile was elected deputy president, Gwede Mantashe party chairperson, Fikile Mbalula secretary-general, first and second deputy secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane and Maropene Ramokgopa, and treasurer-general, Gwen Ramokgopa.
In reaction, Malema said: “They have elected this big-nosed thing again. He defeated Zweli Mkhize. He must know that his victory means nothing. We are going to beat this big nose until it is swollen.
“He likes it or not, Ramaphosa will not finish his term. We will fight him. When we are in Parliament, and we will say, ‘this guy is a delinquent,’ it means the war has started. He will never have peace in that Parliament. We will fight him until he resigns.”
The EFF leader criticised Ramaphosa for owning a huge farm in Waterberg, Limpopo, while his Bela Bela neighbours drink water from rivers with dead donkeys in them.
“How many lives can he change by installing water at those squatter camps? So many millions of dollars, cash, in one man’s house? The dollars are overflowing from a safe, and they have to be hidden in a mattress.
“We are going to fight Ramaphosa. If you are taking bribes, don’t count us in. We are fighting these people because they have continued the indignity of the African people in South Africa,” said Malema.
Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane poked fun at the idea of the ANC having elected a better devil between Ramaphosa and Mkhize.
“The ANC has chosen its leaders, but the lives of South Africans are still plagued with six hours of load shedding, potholes on the roads, everyone watching their phones and bags when they go out.
“There are no jobs, and families are going hungry. After you choose a better devil, your house still has a devil inside,” Maimane said.
Meanwhile, former student activist Mcebo Dlamini reiterated his stance that the ANC, under Ramaphosa, had lost touch with the majority of South Africans.
“If you were to say to me, go to Soweto today, what would I say to those people? What would I say to those young people roaming the streets with no hope? Nothing.
“Cyril Ramaphosa is a mascot. He is a clown masquerading as a businessman and impersonating a leader and a president. He is not. Rich people, billionaires, and business people don’t contest power. They influence power in many ways. They influence policies.
“Immediately when you see a so-called businessperson contesting a public position, then you must know that is a puppet being used by white monopoly capital to control the anger of black people,” said Dlamini.
“This is a stooge of white people, and we are not going anywhere. I’ve heard a lot of people saying he is a Mafia. It is an insult to the Mafia families. He is not Mafia. The real Mafia know what the role of the Mafia is.
“When you look at the role of a Mafia, they take care of the communities they come from. They take care of the people, so the people can take care of them. We are suffering as a country, together with the white people,” Dlamini said.
Pretoria News