Malema forgives Zuma, Twitter goes crazy

EFF leader Julius Malema attended a service at the Apostolic Faith Mission River of Life in Soshanguve, Tshwane, on Sunday, where he said he had forgiven former president Jacob Zuma after hearing a sermon on forgiveness.

“We came here for wisdom and since the priest was telling us about forgiveness as politicians, we must now forgive Zuma. We forgive him for the sake of the priest because we cannot go against the word of the priest,” Malema said.

CIC @Julius_S_Malema clarifying to the members of the media why the EFF leadership visited Apostolic Faith Mission River of Life in Soshanguve today. pic.twitter.com/wKK1tp3L99

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) January 27, 2019

The EFF leader expressed his animosity towards Zuma as recently as Saturday when an interview with Tim Modise on eNCA was broadcast, although it was in the context of him explaining he believed President Cyril Ramaphosa was no better than his predecessor.

“They [Zuma and Ramaphosa] are the same. They are from the same pot. You can’t cook a chicken in the same pot and say this piece is better than that piece. They are all the same. What is the pot? The pot is African National Corruption. That’s where they’re cooked. They are all products of that,” he told Modise.

Malema was originally one of Zuma’s fiercest supporters as president of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), to the point of famously saying at a rally he would kill or die for him.

“We are prepared to die for Zuma. We are prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma,” he said in 2008.

READ MORE: Malema declares war on Ramaphosa, Motsepe and Gordhan

However, he was suspended from the ANCYL a few years later, in 2011, for saying that the youth league would send a team to Botswana and attempt to enact a change of regime, among other reasons. He also reportedly disrupted an ANC meeting of senior party members, including Zuma. Then, in early 2012, he was expelled.

After his expulsion, he turned on Zuma almost instantly, calling him a “dictator” with “no interest for his own people”. This led to the establishment of the EFF, who made disrupting Zuma’s annual state of the nation address a tradition, starting in 2015. By August 2017 he was leading his party in chants of “Zuma Must Fall” and marching to the Union Building in Pretoria to call for his removal.

When this removal took place, however, Malema almost instantly set his sights on his successor Ramaphosa – as well as Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan – as his new enemies. At a rally for the EFF’s fifth birthday party in July, 2018, he accused Gordhan of controlling the president, accused the president and his brother-in-law Patrice Motsepe of being guilty of state capture, and declared “war” on the presidency.

Unsurprisingly, the EFF leader’s new attitude of forgiveness became a hot topic on social media.

Remember Zuma? Remember everything he put us through?
Remember the Guptas, the Arms Deal, 783 counts of corruption?
Remember closing down the Scorpions? Wrecking the NPA & SARS?
Remember Nkandla? Remember Bosasa?
Well, Cyril's ANC has forgiven him & so has Malema's EFF.
Have you? pic.twitter.com/dmzgI87IJp

— Jacques Maree (@JacquesMaree73) January 28, 2019

DID you know?
-Jacob Zuma and Julius Malema are now officially best friends.

— Sir Cabonena Alfred (@Lebona_cabonena) January 28, 2019

I heard Malema yesterday foegiving Zuma, so is Jona his Damascus 4 going back 2 factory settings r not ready but wat am 100% confident is ZANU PF 2 e core n jus an MDC symphathiser at least 4 now while he awaits 4 power tectonics in his party. He knows its cold out there

— dube r makgalemela (@dubereuben) January 28, 2019

Julius Malema before " I will never forgive that Man". Julius Malema today " I have forgiven Zuma". Julius Malema is like Cape Town he even lying to congregates in the name of Jacob Zuma https://t.co/ggHlNXHFo7

— Jolinkomo (@ThamiMilis) January 28, 2019

The #Zuma camp is threatening Mr #Ramaphosa that his supporters will not vote #ANC. Is Mr #Malema trying to swing some of those votes the way of the #EFF? https://t.co/gw9ncFLCMK via @SowetanLIVE

— Michael Atkins (@atkinsmike1) January 28, 2019

Julius Malema after church service he says they learned forgiveness they even forgiven Zuma, white people are going crazy, they are forgetting they named Nelson Mandela a hero for forgiving FW De Klerk and other apartheid masters pic.twitter.com/akLSwWFDXM

— Fighter Sotobe (@ZweSibiya) January 27, 2019

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