Malema and Zuma set to meet in Nkandla this afternoon for their ‘tea’ meeting

Former president Jacob Zuma and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema are set to meet on Friday in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal for their “tea” encounter, according to reports.

This after Malema on Wednesday sent a tweet to Zuma asking if they could “please have tea urgently”, a suggestion that the former president acceded to despite their public fallout over the years.

The meeting was initially said to be taking place this weekend, but several reports suggest that the pair would be meeting on Friday afternoon.

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In a series of tweets, SABC News politics reporter, Samkele Maseko, said Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina would also be present during the meeting to discuss “pertinent issues”. The importance of the South African Constitution would also be addressed during the gathering.

The request from the EFF leader to meet with Zuma came two days after the former president said he would rebel against a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) order compelling him to appear before the State Capture Commission this month.

Zuma has been widely criticised by various political parties and civil society organisations that have called for his arrest and for the ANC to take action against him.

Speaking to The Citizen this week, political economist Dale McKinley said Malema might be attempting to benefit from the political impasse within the ANC over Zuma’s public standoff with the state capture commission.

“This is an opportunity that other political parties seek to take advantage of from various angles. My sense would be that they like to position themselves as a meditator to try to deal with this so that it doesn’t get out of hand,” McKinley said.

Attempts to get hold of the EFF to confirm details of the meetings have been unsuccessful. This story will be updated once comment is available.

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