Malema hits back at Bheki Cele, says he’s ‘singing for his supper’ ahead of Cabinet reshuffle

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has slammed Police Minister Bheki Cele for defending the forceful removal of EFF MPs from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday evening.

The EFF MPs were removed at the instruction of National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and after running to the stage, where Ramaphosa was seated.

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Malema insists what happened on Thursday was unconstitutional and the party has written to Mapisa-Nqakula demanding an apology. The EFF has given her 48 hours to apologise or face legal action.

‘We had to act’

Speaking to News24, Cele said the police had to act fast against the EFF.

“We had to act, and [I] am very proud of the officers… and again and again, we [will] act the same if the same thing happens again. We did our work, and we’ll do it again to make sure people are protected, especially when people storm the head of state and the presiding officers,” he was quoted as saying by the publication on Friday.

Ramaphosa did not need protection

During the EFF’s media briefing on Friday, Malema said Ramaphosa did not need protection from MPs in parliament. He said EFF MPs only meant to stage a silent protest on stage, not to harm the president.

“The only time the president does not and should not have protection is in parliament. He enters and sits among MPs. Why should there not be a threat when they’re sitting with him and then become a threat when they go to him on stage? What difference does it make? It is the same members. When we’re sitting with him at the floor of the chamber he can’t see our hands, not one can see our hands. But while on the stage, my hands could be seen holding a placard,” he said.

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“Since when does holding a placard in a peaceful manner constitute a threat? Where you’re suspected to be a threat, you’re asked to raise your hands where they can be seen. There was just going to be a peaceful standing on the stage carrying a placard. The president would have continued to address while we were holding placards.”

Bheki Cele a ‘certified fool’

Malema further slammed Cele, who he called a “certified fool”, for celebrating how police handled the situation on Thursday.

“No self-respecting MP or minister should celebrate what those members of police did inside there,” said Malema.

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“Bheki is singing for supper. Cabinet reshuffle is imminent and that’s why he’s doing the most stupid things. Semi-illiterate minister of police who knows nothing except to just go around saying a lot of nothing which results in no results. The GBV is high, the levels of crime is too high. The only thing he can praise is harassment of colleagues in parliament. He’s a certified fool, he’s stupid.”