Bulls-eye of manoeuvre is furthering his own agenda – EFF
Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) leader Julius Malema has condemned the latest Cabinet reshuffle saying it was a cunning move by President Jacob Zuma to consolidate his forces of corruption and state capture.
Replacing former energy minister Mmamoloko Kubayi with her former intelligence counterpart, David Mahlobo, was meant to secure the nuclear energy deal, said Malema.
“He is chasing the nuclear energy deal, they want to process the nuclear deal.
“They took the Russians’ money, the Russians want their money, now they must deliver,” he added.
The fiery leader said the Cabinet reshuffle was also used to settle political scores and consolidate factional power for the ANC December conference.
Malema welcomed the removal of higher education minister Blade Nzimande, saying he was the most useless minister in the entire Cabinet.
Nzimande had failed to deliver as minister and was synonymous with incompetence and compliance with the bourgeois agenda.
“We will not be surprised if there are mass resignations by SACP members in Cabinet because their principal has been fired,” Malema said.
He accused Nzimande and Zuma of being selfish.
“Blade and Zuma are not different, they are self-serving. Now Blade will discover who he is and start doing the right thing,” said Malema.
He challenged the SACP leader to join him in the streets to fight Zuma’s corruption.
Nzimande’s dismissal would give him the necessary time to go to the ground and campaign for Zuma’s removal at the ANC December national conference, he added.
Malema further lambasted Nzimande’s successor, Hlengiwe Mkhize, saying “she would not add any value” to the department.
Malema claimed Mahlobo would run both his new department and intelligence together.
He will micro-manage intelligence because the new minister is “a useless man”, said Malema.
He said Kubayi was removed from the energy portfolio to communications because Zuma did not see her as “a trusted force”.
Kubayi is the third minister of communications this year, coming after Ayanda Dlodlo who in turn succeeded Faith Muthambi.
Malema claimed the president had reserved the post held by deputy minister in the presidency, Buti Manamela, for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who would not accept it because she sees it as too junior for her.
The DA had not issued an official statement on the reshuffle by the time of going to print.
But on Twitter, the party said while Zuma had fired his critics through #CabinetReshuffle, “we are preparing for #GovernmentReshuffle in 2019”.
Separately party spokesperson Phumzile van Damme, in a personal Twitter message replying to Kubayi, welcomed her to the communications portfolio.
Kubayi earlier told Van Damme that she was looking forward to working with her. –