'Disneyland combatants': Nonceba Mhlauli on Ramaphosa's critics

Deputy minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli gave a critique of President Cyril Ramaphosa's opposers during her speech in parliament this week, labelling them “Disneyland combatants”.

Mhlauli, during the budget vote debate in parliament on Tuesday, criticised MPs who called Ramaphosa a “sellout”.

“Mr President, it must be very ironic sitting here being labelled a sellout by the right-wing brigades, cheaply camouflaged as modern-day revolutionaries.

“It is the nature of these Disneyland combatants to sit here under the very same law they claim to hate, yet happily accept the salaries that come with that particular law, similar to their cult leader, who for many years pocketed the spoils of the state, only to now have a Damascus moment,” Mhlauli said. 

The MK Party took the spotlight during the election campaign with their ambition of wanting an overhaul of the constitution, saying the party did not believe in the “Roman-Dutch” law. 

Mhlauli took jabs at MPs who have “revisionist” tendencies.

“Mr President, the behaviour of the regressive caucus [progressive caucus] is actually not surprising. It is, after all, the nature of those who earn revolutionary credentials in the time of freedom and democracy that you and true revolutionaries fought for to come today, want to demonise and rewrite history,” she said.

“Mr President, you ask the simple question [to Julius Malema] of 'where were they?', they could not answer you. Their struggle was waged in the corridors of VBS Mutual Bank, in the demolition of R16m houses [sic] in Sandton, and in the looting of Limpopo through Ratanang and other actions.”

In a speech on the same day, Malema responded to Ramaphosa’s “where were you?” question mentioned by Mhlauli in her speech.

“It was biologically impossible for me to be there, so don’t question me. Go and question my mother and my father why I wasn’t there,” said Malema. 

“But when the time came, I showed up. I never sold out, I was never a collaborator. I came at an early age and nothing will remove me. I am not disrespectful; I engage robustly.”

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