The EFF has hit back at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement, saying he failed to address “pressing issues” they had brought up during the opening of Parliament debate.
The Red Berets’ response follows Ramaphosa’s argument that EFF leader, Julius Malema, is not a political fundi, but he should be schooled in the history of politics instead of using personal vendettas to attack during debates.
On Monday, Ramaphosa reprimanded Malema for insulting his father, saying he was a policeman during Apartheid.
“You and I need to sit down and talk about politics, especially about apartheid-era politics, which I think confuses you. Some two years ago, you once stood here and insulted my father and I, saying that he was a policeman. I am proud to be the son of a policeman, a very good policeman,” said Ramaphosa.
The president also told Malema to “play the ball, not the man”, saying the Red Berets must keep to politics instead of blaming and attacking Ramaphosa, in order to build the country.
According to the EFF’s national spokesperson, Leigh-Ann Mathys, the president’s “theatrics” were a ploy to score pity from parliamentarians, to an extent of speaking Sepedi and his home language, TshiVenda, to make a point.
“It is Ramaphosa who failed to address a single substantive issue we raised, choosing instead to feign personal offence and condescendingly lecture us about his life as a union leader.
“Ramaphosa’s theatrics were nothing short of a desperate attempt to sidestep the real questions. He did not deny the allegations of being an apartheid spy. Instead, he pathetically dragged his father into the conversation, whom Malema did not mention, to manipulate and victimise himself,” said Mathys.
She condemned Ramaphosa for partnering with the ‘white supremacist DA’ for the Government of National Unity, labelling him a “darling” of the political pact.
She furthermore accused Ramaphosa of hiding away from his corruption allegations, referring to the Phala Phala report.
“This blatant evasion is a disgraceful tactic to avoid accountability. Ramaphosa’s decision to collaborate with the white supremacist enemy in a GNU further exposes his treachery, along with the fact that he is a ‘darling’ of the establishment.
“Ramaphosa’s cowardly performance in Parliament is a testament to his inability to confront the truth and his persistent avoidance of the people’s demands. We demand accountability, not history lessons,” said Mathys.
With the VBS saga hounding the EFF, Minister in Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said Malema is the last person to question Ramaphosa’s integrity and ethics.
“The women, the elderly and the poorest who were members of stokvels and burial societies were saying to me, ‘who has the right to question the character of the president? It is anyone else, but Malema’. It is not about the money they lost, but it is about the impact. People of Vhembe are suffering from hypertension, because their pension was supposed to take their grandchildren to school, but they are now suffering as a generation of lost opportunities. Why? Because Malema and the EFF got money from VBS,” said Ntshaveni.
The Star