Photo: EFF / Twitter
Photo: EFF / Twitter
Nobody’s perfect, but it takes a special kind of hubris to question the political nous of Nelson Mandela. However, Julius Malema has never been the shy and retiring type – just as we’ve seen on Tuesday.
The EFF leader began his day with a train journey through Durban. He was left a little bemused by the cramped conditions and uncomfortable travel arrangements. Then he showed up at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) to rally the students ahead of election day in three weeks’ time.
Malema rifled through a whole host of topics during his address, and touched on several subject areas that are set to determine the way voters sway on Wednesday 8 May.
However, perhaps his most startling point came when he addressed the subject of free education. Julius Malema claims that Nelson Mandela got his priorities wrong, and should have championed free education over RDP housing – the government homes which were assigned to displaced citizens as a result of apartheid.
Malema: "Madiba
— Lizeka Maduna (@I_am_Msuthukazi) April 16, 2019
a made a mistake in 1994, he should have priorised free education."
In Juju’s book, Madiba should have left housing until later. He believes that people could “build their own houses” once they’d received an education, limiting the need for government help:
“If your parent is a teacher or in the police you deserve free education because those people are not getting paid much. Nelson Mandela made a big mistake by making RDP houses a priority, he should have made education a priority because people can build houses for themselves they are educated.”
Julius Malema
It seems the “Son of the Soil” has a few pointers for the “Father of the Nation”. Despite cutting his political teeth in the ANC as their Youth League leader, Julius Malema isn’t the most sentimental fellow when it comes to remembering Nelson Mandela. Last year, he lambasted their ANC for relying too heavily on Madiba’s name.