Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has hit back at criticism that he cannot be trusted to lead South Africa as president.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said the EFF should not be trusted because its leaders change their minds when the situation suits them.
This was after Malema had a change of heart about African National Congress (ANC) deputy president, Paul Mashatile. He said he was willing to back Mashatile over President Cyril Ramaphosa to lead the ANC after previously lambasting him.
Speaking to SABC News on Thursday night, Malema said the title “flip-flopper” carried no weight as he does not blow with the “political wind” but instead creates it.
“I create the wind. So I can’t go with the wind. I am the wind. I create the political wind in South Africa and therefore cannot go with a certain wind”. In politics, there is what we call tactics and strategy. So sometimes you have to kiss many frogs to arrive at your strategic objective. Malema, his enemies deliberately try to distort his message, so he remains a monster in the eyes of the public. It is for me, through a period of time and my involvement in politics, to demonstrate I am not what these people are saying,” says Malema.
SA – US relations
Malema says he doesn’t regret saying that US Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, should have been thrown out of the country immediately after he alleged that South Africa supplied arms to Russia.
He says Brigety breached diplomatic protocols when he went public with his allegations last week instead of raising them with the government.
“His credentials should have been withdrawn with immediate effect. Look at what he did to our currency and the good image of our country. Despite all the channels that are there, he takes a posture he’s taken discrediting SA. We’ve sent even the smallest thing, a cheppies, to Russia why would someone just in diplomatic engagement take such a posture against our country.”
Malema has also reiterated that his party supports Russia, despite South Africa’s “non-aligned” stance in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Siding with DA, FF Plus
With regard to next year’s general elections, Malema, says the EFF would side with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) if they agree with his party’s policies on land expropriation.
Malema says the EFF is not in any coalition or relationship with the African National Congress (ANC).
However, he says if the opposition parties agreed with their policies, they’ll work with them to ensure that services are delivered to South Africans.
“Tangible issues are service delivery. If the DA was to push a motion that there is a problem with a sewer in Ekurhuleni, Thembisa, we are saying this must be attended to with immediate effect. The first people we would talk to is opposition parties and we wouldn’t hesitate to talk to the DA, FF+ or anyone in the opposition. The first things we need to agree on are issues fundamental to the EFF.”
