Malema rips into ‘factional’ Zondo
Blasts chief justice for his assertion that Ramaphosa’s 2017 election saved country
EFF president Julius Malema has blasted the head of the judiciary, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, over his assertion that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s election during the elective conference in Nasrec in 2017 saved the country.
Malema accused Justice Zondo, who supported Ramaphosa for a second term as ANC leader, of being “factionalist”, saying he had used the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, which he headed, for his personal interests.
Malema was responding to questions from journalists at a post-EFF central command press briefing at the party’s headquarters, Winnie Madikizela Mandela House, in Johannesburg yesterday.
This came after ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Tony Yengeni wrote to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) complaining about the conduct of Justice Zondo in the final leg of the state capture report.
Justice Zondo asserted in the report that Ramaphosa’s election as ANC president at the 2017 Nasrec conference had saved the country.
Malema said: “Zondo is a factionalist that supports Ramaphosa for a second term, and that’s why he saw it necessary to put it out there that Ramaphosa’s election in the ANC rescued us from where we were.
“He is effectively saying: ‘If you don’t elect Ramaphosa in December, we are going to be in trouble.’”
The ruling ANC will go to their 55th elective conference in December, where Ramaphosa will be seeking a second term. He is facing a challenge for the top post from former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.
“The conduct committee of the JSC must make sure that Zondo is disciplined in the same way that former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng was disciplined when he got into the political terrain. Tony Yengeni must be congratulated for taking such a step against a celebrity who wants to be chief justice,” Malema said.
He added: “Zondo thinks that judges are untouchable and that’s why he has given himself the responsibility to enter the political terrain. Judges should have nothing to do about the outcome of political conferences of political parties.
“They must know the limit, and Zondo does not have any limits. For some reason I personally think that Zondo wished to be a TV presenter where he is always on TV.”
Malema added that judges were respected for their judgments and not for their political views.
He asserted that the state capture report tabled by Justice Zondo was used by the judge to further his own interests.
“There is nothing interesting about the Zondo report because Justice Zondo used the report to further the interests of a certain faction against another faction and by so doing delegitimise the whole process.
“We have no appetite to entertain the report. Zondo is neither here nor there. He used the commission for personal reward,” Malema said.
Justice Zondo and SA Judiciary spokesperson Nathi Mncube had not responded on the matter by the time of publication
Meanwhile, Malema called for a speedy prosecution of those arrested in connection with the brutal murder of Hillary Gardee, the daughter of former EFF secretary Godrich Gardee.
“We are involved in the investigation and have employed private investigators. The majority arrested were through our intervention.
“I would not be shocked if this had to do with some sort of rituals involving muti because the way they were stabbing her body and her breasts went beyond the issue of murder and rape. It had to do with something that people are obsessed with. We are hoping to get the truth. The only thing that will satisfy us, is if they get convicted.”
Gardee’s body was found in bushes near Mbombela earlier this month after she went missing. ANC researcher in the Mpumalanga Legislature, Philemon Lukhele, Sipho Mkhatshwa and Albert Gama have been charged with murder, rape and possession of an illegal firearm in connection with her murder.
They appeared at the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court last week and have been remanded in jail. They also abandoned their bail application.