Trollip calls Malema ‘ultimate flip-flopper’ following ANC comments

Former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip took to Twitter to say that “the cat is out of the bag” following Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema’s comments indicating his party would be open to coalitions with the governing African National Congress (ANC) but not the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Trollip, now the DA’s federal chairperson, called Malema the “ultimate flip-flopper”, bringing up what he believes are examples of this behaviour.

The examples given were when he called the DA a “better devil” than the ANC and when Malema said he’d “kill for Zuma”, which Trollip said he later changed to “I will kill Zuma”.

There it is the cat is out of the bag! Remember him saying the DA is the better devil than the ANC? Remember, I will kill for Zuma and later I will kill Zuma?? This man is the ultimate flip flopper. https://t.co/ysSdMqlqhV

— Athol Trollip (@AtholT) April 24, 2019

While the leader of the red berets did say he’d kill for Zuma at a rally back when he was still president of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), no sign of Malema saying he’d “kill Zuma” could be found, although the EFF leader did become one of the former president’s greatest detractors, rallying his supporters around the cause of Zuma’s removal.

More recently, Malema called himself a “newborn” when it came to Zuma and ready to forgive the former president for his alleged indiscretions.

Then, on Tuesday at the Rand Show in Nasrec, Malema called the ANC corrupt, but added that he was open to coalitions with the governing party depending on the results of the 2019 national and provincial elections, simply because the ANC had not been as “hostile” and insulting, which he said the DA had, particularly after DA leader Mmusi Maimane called him a “VBS looter” following reports on his and his party’s alleged role in the scandal at the now-liquidated bank.

Trollip himself has found himself on the wrong end of the EFF’s about-turns. He rose to power in Nelson Mandela Bay thanks to a coalition including the party, who then helped remove him by voting in a coalition with parties including the ANC and the United Democratic Movement (UDM) – the party to which the municipality’s new mayor, Mongameli Bobani, belongs.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a newborn when it comes to Zuma’ – Malema forgives JZ

The removal of the DA’s coalition government in Nelson Mandela Bay was made possible by a rogue DA councillor, Victor Manyati, who voted with the ANC and UDM-led coalition.

Trollip legally challenged his removal, arguing that Manyati’s membership was terminated at the controversial council meeting which resulted in his ousting.

The DA’s court bid was unsuccessful, with the court finding that Trollip’s assertion that Manyati’s membership was terminated was, in fact, a contravention of the DA’s own constitution.

Trollip has since laid corruption charges against Bobani as well as ANC regional secretary Zandisile Qupe.

Following damning media reports, Trollip claimed that Bobani and Qupe had been implicated in alleged fraud and corruption within the IPTS bus system and benefited from public funds.

(Background reporting, ANA)

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