The State of the Nation (Sona) address by President Jacob Zuma next week will be “shared” with the Economic Freedom Fighters.
“Zuma must know that for the remainder of his term‚ we’re going to share Sona with him. He does not deserve respect‚” EFF leader Julius Malema told a news conference in Johannesburg on Thursday.
“The day Zuma respects the office of the President‚ that is the day we’ll respect him. Otherwise Sona‚ we’ll share with him‚” Malema added.
The red overall-clad EFF MPs have disrupted numerous parliamentary sittings since they came to the debating chamber‚ mostly notably when they initiated a tub-thumping “pay back the money” protest in August 2014.
Malema vowed the party’s MPs would take action if the president does not begin his speech next Thursday evening with an explanation of his decision to replace Finance Minister Nhanhla Nene in December‚ an action that Malema said had resulted in billions of rands being lost to the country’s economy.
The EFF leader was relishing in the announcement made by the presidency earlier this week that Zuma was willing to negotiate payment of some of the R246 million in taxpayer money spent on upgrades to his Nkandla homestead.
Malema said the party rejected the offer by Zuma to pay a portion of the money spent on Nkandla and said there would be an agreement only if Zuma paid what was outlined in the Public Protector’s report.
Malema also took up the defence of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s office‚ saying the office was no longer regarded in high esteem after Zuma had “insulted” the public protector.
“We’re not going to accept any settlement that doesn’t reaffirm the powers of Public Protector‚ that remedial actions are binding‚” he said.
Malema also said he did not believe that Zuma and the ruling African National Congress could not be seen as separate as‚ he asserted‚ both stood for corruption and the ANC has not been able to remove Zuma from power.
Malema‚ who was part of the ANC structures when former president Thabo Mbeki was removed as the party’s president in a battle with Zuma in Polokwane in 2007‚ said he wondered what Mbkei could have done that was so bad that he had to be removed yet Zuma who has proven unworthy of presidency still remained in office.
Publicly denouncing the wealthy Gupta family for their close ties to the president‚ Malema said the party would take action against them and intended to drive them out of the country as they are benefiting over other businesses due to their political links.
“We can’t have a situation where we’re controlled by a family. We can’t be colonised by a family. We’ll do to the Guptas what we did to the colonisers. We’ll engage them directly‚” said Malema.
Malema called for a mass protest action against corruption in the country as well as against the Gupta family on Tuesday next week.
He called on all those who protested under the #ZumaMustFall and #FeesMustFall campaigns to show up and tweet from the frontline of the march – which is to the Constitutional Court. This is where Zuma’s lawyers will be going up against the EFF and Democratic Alliance’s legal teams in a bid to compel him to abide by the Public Protector’s findings that he benefitted unduly from the “security upgrades” to his private home.
- Tiso Black Star Group Digital/Tiso Black Star Group Local Government team
EFF will disrupt President’s State of the Nation address to Parliament: Malema
“Zuma must know that for the remainder of his term‚ we’re going to share Sona with him. He does not deserve respect‚” EFF leader Julius Malema told a news conference in Johannesburg on Thursday.
“The day Zuma respects the office of the President‚ that is the day we’ll respect him. Otherwise Sona‚ we’ll share with him‚” Malema added.
The red overall-clad EFF MPs have disrupted numerous parliamentary sittings since they came to the debating chamber‚ mostly notably when they initiated a tub-thumping “pay back the money” protest in August 2014.
Malema vowed the party’s MPs would take action if the president does not begin his speech next Thursday evening with an explanation of his decision to replace Finance Minister Nhanhla Nene in December‚ an action that Malema said had resulted in billions of rands being lost to the country’s economy.
The EFF leader was relishing in the announcement made by the presidency earlier this week that Zuma was willing to negotiate payment of some of the R246 million in taxpayer money spent on upgrades to his Nkandla homestead.
Malema said the party rejected the offer by Zuma to pay a portion of the money spent on Nkandla and said there would be an agreement only if Zuma paid what was outlined in the Public Protector’s report.
Malema also took up the defence of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s office‚ saying the office was no longer regarded in high esteem after Zuma had “insulted” the public protector.
“We’re not going to accept any settlement that doesn’t reaffirm the powers of Public Protector‚ that remedial actions are binding‚” he said.
Malema also said he did not believe that Zuma and the ruling African National Congress could not be seen as separate as‚ he asserted‚ both stood for corruption and the ANC has not been able to remove Zuma from power.
Malema‚ who was part of the ANC structures when former president Thabo Mbeki was removed as the party’s president in a battle with Zuma in Polokwane in 2007‚ said he wondered what Mbkei could have done that was so bad that he had to be removed yet Zuma who has proven unworthy of presidency still remained in office.
Publicly denouncing the wealthy Gupta family for their close ties to the president‚ Malema said the party would take action against them and intended to drive them out of the country as they are benefiting over other businesses due to their political links.
“We can’t have a situation where we’re controlled by a family. We can’t be colonised by a family. We’ll do to the Guptas what we did to the colonisers. We’ll engage them directly‚” said Malema.
Malema called for a mass protest action against corruption in the country as well as against the Gupta family on Tuesday next week.
He called on all those who protested under the #ZumaMustFall and #FeesMustFall campaigns to show up and tweet from the frontline of the march – which is to the Constitutional Court. This is where Zuma’s lawyers will be going up against the EFF and Democratic Alliance’s legal teams in a bid to compel him to abide by the Public Protector’s findings that he benefitted unduly from the “security upgrades” to his private home.
- Tiso Black Star Group Digital/Tiso Black Star Group Local Government team
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