Malema wants ‘this criminal’ arrested
JULIUS Malema yesterday vowed to exert pressure on the SAPS to arrest President Jacob Zuma following revelations that his family unfairly benefited from security upgrades at his Nkandla home.
Malema — who recently laid charges of fraud and corruption against Zuma — revealed that he had tried to call the investigating officer yesterday to put pressure on him to make an arrest.
“He must be arrested. I wanted to know when they are arresting this criminal called Zuma. No one is above the law. Zuma does not belong among us. He must rot in jail,” Malema told scores of supporters who gathered at an open field in Thabong, Welkom.
Earlier one of his supporters screamed through a loud-hailer: “Go to prison Zuma, go to prison.”
“Go to prison!” responded the huge crowd that gathered in the township for hours waiting for Malema to arrive.
Youthful supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters danced around a casket representing President Jacob Zuma’s coffin.
On Thursday, the self-styled commander-in-chief of the EFF laid a criminal charge against Zuma at Sunnyside police station in Pretoria, based on public protector Thuli Madonsela’s finding that the president had benefited irregularly from the R215-million security upgrade at his Nkandla home.
In his police complaint, Malema said Zuma ought to be charged for corruption, theft, fraud and racketeering.
I’m here to listen to how Malema plans to improve my life. The ANC has failed us. We have nothing. We have no water, no electricity and no jobs
His supporters appeared to believe that the saga would eventually result in Zuma’s imprisonment.
Judging by his campaign messages this week, it was clear that Malema plans to use the Nkandla controversy to convince voters to ditch the ANC on election day.
However, not everyone who attended the Welkom rally was interested in Zuma and Nkandla.
“I’m here to listen to how Malema plans to improve my life,” said 52-year-old Boyboy Matjola. “The ANC has failed us. We have nothing. We have no water, no electricity and no jobs. We have hope in Malema,” he said.