EFF leader Julius Malema has caused a stir within his own ranks after he publicly requested an urgent meeting with Jacob Zuma.
Jacob Zuma faces his darkest hour
The walls are closing in on the former president who, on Wednesday, was the subject of a criminal complaint laid by the State Capture Inquiry.
In a statement, DCJ Raymond Zondo’s commission noted that Zuma’s outright defiance towards the Constitutional Court judgment was “completely unacceptable in a constitutional democracy such as ours.”
“This is particularly so when the person making such a decision is a former president of the country who should be exemplary in upholding the rule of law and the Constitution,” the scathing statement read.
Zuma, for the most part, has laid low. His appearance at the inquiry has been penned in for the week of 15-22 February 2021. Should he be a no-show as he threatened, then the commission will “announce on that day what further action it will take in regard to such conduct.”
Julius Malema causes stir with ‘tea’ request
Standing in his way to either the hot seat or jail, is the EFF’s Malema who, interestingly, wants to have tea quite urgently with the former president.
@PresJGZuma can we please have tea urgently?
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) February 3, 2021
Malema’s tweet even received the endorsement of a Twitter account that supposedly belongs to Duduzane Zuma (there is growing speculation that this is a parody account).
Baba @PresJGZuma https://t.co/eYveBsErIr
— Duduzane Zuma (@Duduzane__Zuma) February 3, 2021
It seems, at a time when Zuma’s been left in the lurch by his own cadres, Malema is there to console the embattled Msholozi.
As nice of a gesture this may be, it was not received well by the commander-in-chief’s own supporters. This is how social media reacted to the ‘tea’ request:
Julius you see now you're repeating exactly what you did in 2009: putting your glory first over the 'good' of the country?
— S Y D W E L L (@Sydwell_RSA) February 3, 2021
Zuma wants to destabilize the country, thus make Cyril's rule difficult, and you want to contribute in this just like you did when Mbeki was removed! pic.twitter.com/yN8TpWjRYf
You know where he lives, remember you went and campaigned at his homestead pic.twitter.com/aIxMsEYSpz
— MvelasePaveArchitects (@SethuMthembu) February 3, 2021
Malema and Zuma are stronger as a pair. They can both have ANC running efficiently in no time and therefore much needed cleaning up of the country! Politics game is above CR ‘s head, the man has zero strategy and vision!Malema ‘s anger clouded him for long, he is older& wiser now
— Mosading_Nyhonyha (@MosadingN) February 3, 2021