Johannesburg - Julius Malema has once again lambasted President Jacob Zuma, calling him a dictator who has militarised the police and also urging him to go on pension as he is getting “older and older by the day”.
Addressing a media conference in Joburg on Tuesday - a day after he was barred by the police from addressing striking mineworkers at the Wonderkop Stadium in Marikana - the expelled ANC Youth League leader said since Zuma took office, “we had seen the introduction of dictatorship”.
“Like all dictators, he only concentrates on his village (of) Nkandla (KwaZulu-Natal)… He must rest now. He is getting old… and it will work out nicely on pension,” Malema said.
Malema also lashed out at some cabinet ministers who have become members of the black political elite. He singled out Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, saying they were responsible for the Lonmin massacre where 34 mineworkers were killed by the police during a protest last month.
He said Radebe was protecting the mining interests of his wife Bridget and his brother-in-law, mining tycoon Patrice Motsepe. He said that was why no police officer has been arrested for the Lonmin shootings.
“The minister of police used slush fund money to build a security wall around his house and, for what[ever] else we do not know. And the auditor-general says the minister did not know. How on earth can a person not know who is paying for the wall built around his private residence?”
The media conference was called in part to address what happened in Marikana on Monday where Malema was prevented from addressing the striking workers. He said his constitutional rights had been eroded.
“After visiting the families of miners who were shot, we were asked to go and visit the mineworkers at the stadium who had legally gathered, and the police physically stopped us, threatened to isolate and kill us, and further pushed us out of Marikana against our will,” he said.
Describing the incident, Malema said that police had initially stopped his vehicle and said they wanted to search it. He claimed one of the officers said “let’s isolate them and shoot them”. When he left the area, he was still followed by police.
“A police chopper followed me from Marikana to Pretoria. That is taxpayers’ money,” said Malema.
Saying there was a state of emergency in Marikana, Malema announced that he is considering taking legal action. “We also have instructed our legal representatives to find ways of setting aside the state of emergency declared.”
He said his expulsion was a way of suppressing dissent. “Our isolation, suspensions and expulsions from the ANC was solely meant to suppress dissent and deal with courageous youth who could not stand the pure mediocrity of Jacob Zuma.”
Malema said his hands are clean and he has not been involved in any corruption.
“I have nothing to hide… I only have my convictions. Nothing will stop me from fighting for economic freedom… We are unshaken,” he said.
The Star