‘Nkosazana is corrupt and Ramaphosa is all about himself’. Malema

Malema was speaking to journalists at the EFF headquarters in Johannesburg following the freedom fighters’ plenary meeting at the weekend.

He gave his personal view on the candidates expected to battle it out for leadership when President Jacob Zuma steps down as president of the party in December.

“Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will be president if Zuma wants her to be,” said Malema.

But the EFF commander-in-chief said if she does emerge victorious it would have little to do with affirming her abilities to lead the party as its first female president.

“That thing of South Africa being ready for a female president is just rhetoric. He’s trying to sound smart, to appear like he supports women,” Malema said.

‘Nkosazana is corrupt’

He claimed Dlamini-Zuma’s task, if she does take over from Zuma, would be to protect him from facing corruption charges.

Malema also poked holes in the outgoing African Union Commission chairperson’s credibility.

“Nkosazana is corrupt, how do you accept an award from the Guptas if you are not corrupt? How do you legitimise such an illegal institution that is stealing money from our government?” asked Malema.

In 2015, Gupta-owned broadcaster ANN7 named her “South African of the Year”.

Malema said Dlamini-Zuma would likely run into trouble if she expressed her views on the State of Capture report, which was the result of a probe by former public protector Thuli Madonsela.

Madonsela looked into allegations of undue influence over state-owned enterprises and key government decisions, including the appointment of ministers by the influential family, known to be close to the president.

‘Cyril is about himself’

“If she says the Guptas have the right to do business, whites are against them because they are black then you know where she stands, she is part of the cartel.

“If she says they are wrong [and] the report must be investigated fully, then the premier league [a faction within the ANC consisting of premiers from the North West, Free State and Mpumalanga] will say she is going to arrest…this one,” he added.

Malema said he believed the president remained unsure on whether to back Dlamini-Zuma or not, telling journalists “the chief will have to give a final word”.