I would have done worse, says Malema on Godrich Gardee scuffle

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema’s June 16 lecture at the University of Fort Hare has left South Africans on social media saying he must be protected at all costs.

Among other things, the EFF leader touched on decolonising the mind of the African child, VBS reports, the Trevor Manuel court case and a video showing the party’s secretary general Godrich Gardee in a fight.

Malema encouraged students to follow Steve Biko’s example and educate themselves on black consciousness and further clarified on what the EFF meant when it spoke about decolonising education.

“Decolonisation of education does not mean you must be taught in Xhosa, you can be taught in Xhosa and be taught wrong things. It means that we ought to liberate the syllabus. The content must liberate the mind of the African child.

“When you are taught it gives you examples of whiteness and when you graduate you want to be like white people. We don’t want education that gives examples of whiteness as a centre of excellence. The bible is written in Xhosa as well and yet projects Christianity as white,” he said.

According to the EFF leader, colonialism is when the coloniser “makes you” in their image and gives you the idea that only that which is done by them is right.

“What is the image of our coloniser in South Africa? It is to bleach ourselves and want to look white. To straighten our hair and want to look white. Wanting to speak English better than the English themselves. The coloniser has made you in their image. You must walk like them, speak like them and dress like. Anything doesn’t reflect the image of the coloniser is taboo.

“I never said a person who bleaches themselves is not an African. Do it, as long as it comes from inside. Don’t do it because you want to look like your mother’s boss. Do it as long as, for some reason, it brings you fulfilment.

“As long as it comes from inside you, straighten your hair, not because you want to look like Helen Zille. She’s not one of the best people you want to look like. Black Consciousness is self love.”

Malema also defended the party’s secretary general following a video showing him in a fight at the party’s headquarters last year. The EFF leader said Gardee was “performing his revolutionary duty”.

Though he was criticised for his actions, Malema said he would have done worse to protect the offices. While the EFF has been accused of using violence when it does not get its way, Malema said he would not allow the “enemy” to tell him how he must conduct himself.

“There was no fighting, the SG was performing his revolutionary duty. Defend the revolution by protecting the office of the revolution. Stop bringing christian approaches into the revolution. If that video embarrasses you, go to SCO. I would have done worse than what the SG did. That office of the EFF is not a playground. We will make you meet your maker quickly.”

On losing a case of defamation against former finance minister Trevor Manuel, Malema said his party was not the first to lose a court case and urged followers not to be “crybabies”.

“When the EFF loses cases against Trevor Manuel, I don’t care whether we lose 500 cases. As long as we lose cases against the enemy, we must put pressure and fight the enemy. Stop imposing your morals on us. Mandela who lost a case was arrested and imprisoned, yet he remained your hero.

“We’re not the first to lose cases, let us remain your hero even when we lose cases, that’s how it works. Stop being crybabies, we’re in a revolution here.”

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