Malema tells Manana to be proud of being ‘gay’

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema has urged former ANC MP and ex-deputy minister of higher education Mduduzi Manana to embrace his sexuality and disclose that he is homosexual.

Speaking at the EFF Women’s Day commemorations on Thursday in KwaZulu-Natal, Malema urged Manana to be proud of his identity and not keep it concealed.

Malema was quoted in The Sowetan as saying Manana should, instead of laying his hands on women, show his strength at the EFF offices, where he would be taught a lesson.

The former MP was convicted of intent to commit grievous bodily harm late last year and fined R100 000 for assaulting women at Cubana nightclub in Fourways, north of Johannesburg.

Manana had been out with friends and his bodyguards when he got into an altercation with the women over a comment about him allegedly being gay.

The newspaper reported that attempts to get a comment from Manana were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, following a public backlash on social media against Manana speaking at a fundraiser to fight gender-based violence, News24 reports that the organisers of the event have since removed the former deputy minister from being a panelist at the event.

One of the organisers told the website that Manana had been removed from the panel due to the outcry that followed their decision to feature him.

The organiser was quoted as saying it was “too soon” to include Manana on the panel, considering the fact that he had recently been convicted.

At the EFF Women’s Day commemorations, Malema also said it was questionable that President Cyril Ramaphosa would address women and say the government was doing everything in its power to fight the scourge of gender-based violence and then sit next to Manana the following day.

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