Malema slams ‘mediocre nag and coward’ Makhura, says ANC chair should be Lesufi

EFF leader Julius Malema, who has deep knowledge of and friendships within the ANC’s Gauteng leadership, has hit back at Gauteng premier and re-elected provincial chairperson David Makhura.

Among other things, he’s claimed the premier doesn’t have the courage to insult him to his face.

On Friday, at the party’s leadership conference for Gauteng in Irene, Makhura said the “toxic coalition” of the DA and EFF was “desperate”, as their hopes to govern Gauteng had been dealt a blow by a rejuvenated ANC. He said the DA wasn’t governing as well as it claimed in Gauteng’s metros either.

As for the EFF, Makhura said the red berets operated on a “basis of populism, anarchy and demagogy”.

“It trades and thrives on threats, insults, fear, hopelessness, especially among youth. All these are fed by grotesque inequalities, acute poverty and mass unemployment … which represent the spectacular failure of our democratic transition to deliver social justice and equity.”

The young people in the ANC needed to match the energy and radical manner of the EFF, he said.

In what was perhaps a broadside aimed at Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, he said: “We must not focus and spend too much time talking about whether the EFF needs to come back home [to the ANC], let’s focus on the real problems. The ANC should be everywhere, including where there are service delivery problems … branches of the ANC must be the custodians of this province, and if we do that comrades, the less said about the EFF the better.”

In response, Malema took to Twitter to say: “David Makhura likes talking rubbish about @EFFSouthAfrica and when he meets us he doesn’t repeat his nonsense because he’s a coward that survived politically because of [ANC treasurer-general and Gauteng strongman] Paul Mashatile, not on his own. Anyway he’s got nothing to offer except to nag us about Joburg.”

David Makhura likes talking rubbish about @EFFSouthAfrica and when he meets us he doesn’t repeat his nonsense because he’s a coward that survived politically because of Paul Mashatile not on his own. Anyway he’s got nothing to offer Except to nag us about Joburg.

— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) July 20, 2018

He wasn’t yet done, adding: “If anything he’s the one @Lesufi should be contesting and deputized by [economic development MEC Lebogang Maile] or the other way around. Gauteng deserve better, not mediocre called Makhura [sic], can you imagine people waking up in the morning to go and vote @GautengANC because of him?”

If anything he’s the one @Lesufi should be contesting and deputized by @LebogangMaile1 or the other way around. Gauteng deserve better not mediocre called Makhura, can you imagine people waking up in the morning to go and vote @GautengANC because of him.

— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) July 20, 2018

Malema appears to have a good or at least respectful relationship with both Lesufi and Maile. Lesufi recently expressed his opinion that Malema and others were expelled from the ANC too hastily. The ANC’s head of elections, Fikile Mbalula, said in an interview that Lesufi should have kept that opinion private.

Malema has in the past also admiited he has “enormous respect” for his old rival Maile, a former ANC Youth League comrade.

In 2016, he said: “I have enormous respect for Lebogang Maile. The guy is real and not fake. I hope the ANC won’t destroy him. This country needs people like him.”