Mbalula tells Lesufi to keep his regrets about Malema for the bedroom

The ANC’s flamboyant head of elections, Fikile Mbalula, was interviewed on 702 by Eusebius McKaiser on Tuesday and, true to form, divided opinion with some of his responses.

Many on social media particularly reacted to his answer on what he thought about Gauteng MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi having said the ANC was too hasty in expelling Julius Malema.

Mbalula said: “Panyaza needs to keep his opinion in the bedroom.”

He also reportedly said that Lesufi should share such regrets privately.

I ask @MbalulaFikile whether he agrees with @Lesufi whether the ANC was hasty in getting rid of @Julius_S_Malema His response? "Panyaza needs to keep his opinion in the bedroom!" @Radio702 @CapeTalk

— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) July 3, 2018

Many called Mbalula out, however, for allegedly having expressed a similar view about Malema himself. Even ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, who upheld Malema’s expulsion, earlier this year invited Malema back into the ANC.

In 2012, Mbalula called Malema’s ANC expulsion a “tragedy” for his party.

He once said ANC took a wrong decision by expelling juju and now he sings a different tune😂😂

— Zizi🐘 (@LucasMfundo) July 3, 2018

This is why I can’t stand Fikile Mbalula. 🙄🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/AUXQ7EVq6T

— Free Palestine 🇵🇸 (@baymath) July 3, 2018

https://twitter.com/nesbert_kamo/status/1014074472838680577

Mbalula is a joke & has always been one to say the least, he comes here instead of answering questions hes busy ducking & diving. Where does he stand with the Tony Yengeni issue does he support the DSG? Can i be balanced.

— New age Malcolm X👣 (@azania_black) July 3, 2018

Mbalula says Panyaza must share his regrets in his own bedroom. #MbalulaOnEusebius pic.twitter.com/4RVzqb6nOE

— Floyd (@AmuFloyd) July 3, 2018

"Panyaza's regret he must regret in his bedroom. When you are with the movement you align with the party." – Mbalula 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂 Heh usile uFikile

— Chakra Dyan (@Wasanga_Mayhem) July 3, 2018

Mbalula spoke widely on the show about the ANC’s election prospects and how he was feeling confident the party would rebound from years of decline. He was also quick to bat away questions about corruption in the party and how it runs government.

He said that internal squabbles had contributed greatly to the party’s electoral decline in the last local government elections and to a lesser extent in 2014.

Must be either way round, I rather listen to Lesufi rather than listening to Mbalula, Mbalula is a howler, and like to think he is a celebrity but he is just a person who just make a lot of noise. He must keep his opinion in his dustbin

— futchy77 (@Lumkile80458185) July 3, 2018

“Our own intraparty squabbles and also undermining of democratic processes in the organisation of election of public representatives, we aided the opposition. But the other decline is because there was a split in the party.”

He distanced himself from comments made by ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte who told the Sunday Times that Tony Yengeni should never have been convicted of fraud in 2003. Mbalula said her statement was not the official view of the ANC. He said she was still debating the merits of a guilty verdict against Yengeni in 2003 when he failed to declare a discount he received on a Mercedes 4×4.

Yengeni was back in the headlines last week after the ANC controversially picked him as the chair of a working group preparing for next years elections that was focused on crime and corruption.

Many found the irony overwhelming.

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