ANC’s KZN boss Zikalala wants a debate on having Malema back in ANC

ANC KZN chairperson Sihle Zikalala believes only ANC structures can debate the return of EFF leader Julius Malema and that it shouldn’t be based on what individual members of the ANC want.

Speaking to Jacaranda FM on Wednesday morning, Zikalala in answer to a question from a journalist, said the ruling party needs to start discussing whether the former ANC firebrand should be let back in the ruling party’s fold, and that these discussions should happen internally.

He added that it was not the kind of decision that could be left to an individual.

#ANCKZN Zikalala:I believe that structures of the ANC should be debating the issue of the return of @Julius_S_Malema.STM

— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) March 15, 2017

#ANCKZN Zikalala: If any raises the issue of the return of @Julius_S_Malema it must be discussed internally.STM

— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) March 15, 2017

The KZN ANC leader also said that, as the province, they supported the idea of land expropriation without compensation – an ideal that resonates with the EFF’s policy on land.

Watch the clip below of Zikalala’s interview. He explains that the “issue” of Malema was something that the ANC would have to decide among its structures and no individual’s position on the matter would be more important than that.

Zikalala is not the first ANC leader to be asked or to make statement about the EFF leader’s return to the ANC following his expulsion in 2012.

Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza and ANC Youth League president Collen Maine recently made the plea for Malema to be let back into the ruling party.

Mabuza said the ANC is weaker without Julius Malema. Maine, who ultimately replaced Malema as the ANC Youth League president, later told Sowetan he supported the call by Mabuza for Malema to ditch his party and rejoin the ANC.

In response to Mabuza’s call, the EFF dismissively said the Mpumalanga premier “represents nothing ideologically”, and that Malema would not entertain any call to return the ruling party. 

“The CIC Julius Malema will never be recruited into any political work or formation by a kleptocrat like Mabuza. DD Mabuza represents everything that is wrong about the ruling party; he is like Zuma’s first born kleptomaniac. Like all kleptocrats they suffer deep ideological bankruptcy because all they know is corruption. 

“The CIC Julius Malema is leading a glorious people’s alternative, the EFF, which is very close to collapsing DD Mabuza’s ANC. The future has written the ANC off because it betrayed the people and the African Revolution. EFF is the future and no one can stop it,” said the EFF in a statement. 

Please note: An earlier headline of this article stated that “Zikalala wants Malema back in the ANC”. Zikalala has in fact called for a debate to happen within the ANC about Malema’s return, and has not yet openly stated that he wants Malema back. The Citizen apologises for this error

Note that the video clip was also added after first publication to clarify the fact that Zikalala has said a debate on Malema’s return may be necessary, but he has personally not stated that Malema should come back to the ANC.