Malema calls Ramaphosa, Elizabeth ‘thieves’

EFF leader Julius Malema branded the late Queen Elizabeth, as well as President Cyril Ramaphosa, as “thieves” and urged South Africans not to mourn her death.

While British and other people in the world were mourning her death, in Pretoria she was a called by Malema “a murderer, a thief and coloniser of African people”.

“We do not mourn her death. She is a thief. She is a coloniser. South Africa was not colonised by the people of Britain. It was colonised by leaders of that country.

“Britain has a lot of gold, but there are no mines there,” Malema insisted in his address. This, despite the existence of mineworkers and the formation of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1945 in Britain.

It was his comparison of Ramaphosa and the Queen that amazed his own supporters and kept them in stitches. He also said that South Africans must demand reparations from Britain for centuries of colonial rule and murders committed during that period.

Malema launched the scathing attack during a protest march to the office of the Public Protector during which he and other political parties such as the PAC, Azapo, UDM, APC, ATM, Cope and ACDP demanded that the acting public protector, advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, releases a report on Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm theft.

The opposition parties used the protest action to express their desire for Ramaphosa to be impeached following reports that US currency was stolen from his farm.

While Malema attacked Ramaphosa’s personality, labelling him a gangster, money launderer and kidnapper, he also, in a surprise move, turned his attack on Queen Elizabeth – who died on Thursday aged 96.

A similar view was earlier expressed by PAC president Mzwanele Nyhontso, who emphasised that his party was still committed to the return of land to the African people.

Also common among these opposition parties was the view that Gcaleka was stalling in releasing the report on Phala Phala. This was purely aimed at protecting Ramaphosa, they said.

“I know the acting public protector. We grew together in the ANC Youth League. Comrade Kgalema Motlanthe always told us that we must serve the interests of the weak. Now, if you choose the side of Ramaphosa, you’re turning against the weak,” Malema told Gcaleka, who was on a podium with him to accept the memorandum.

Attacks on Ramaphosa and Gcaleka were not only made verbally; different political parties crafted posters accusing Ramaphosa of having broken his oath of office and Gcaleka of allegedly delaying the release of the Phala Phala report.

Malema said Gcaleka should have released the report more than 90 days ago. He said the Public Protector Act insisted that reports of any investigation “must” be issued after 30 days of investigation.

“It is now 95 days since the complaint was lodged with the Office of the Public Protector,” Malema said.

In the memorandum, a startling attack was also lodged against Gcaleka in which the opposition parties accused her of sabotaging Mkhwebane by allegedly denying her legal fees to oppose her suspension, something she vehemently denied.

In reply to some of the allegations contained in the memorandum, Gcaleka was very dismissive of the claims against her, saying: “We are paying for the public protector legal fees for his challenge of her suspension. We are paying for legal fees at the enquiry hearing against her.

“We are paying for her legal fees for the perjury charges against her.”

She emphasised that her office was not partisan, saying it had taken several remedial actions against the government, but these had not been implemented.

“I urge you as opposition parties in Parliament to assist us in ensuring that these remedial actions are implemented,” she said.