Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) President Julius Malema, has defended his ‘Nkandla Tea Party’ with former president and uMkhonto weSizwe (MKP) Party Leader, Jacob Zuma, stating that it was 'misinterpreted'.
"We, as the EFF, will never associate with individuals who have stolen government money and resources for their own benefit, nor will we ever associate with any faction in any political party," Malema said.
Clarifying they party's stance on corruption, he said it would never stand in solidarity with corrupt people.
Setting the record straight on his February 2021 visit to Zuma’s homestead, Malema said the visit was to prevent chaos ahead of Zuma's arrest, and not to support him.
“This was necessary, because, at the time, we foresaw the bloodshed to come, which would come in the former state president's name, and we knew that this was avoidable,” said Malema as he explained the controversy in his visit to Nkandla.
Malema said this at the party’s third National People’s Assembly (NPA), held at Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg on Friday, while delivering a political report which reflected on the party in the last five years.
Malema said there was an ill-advised decision by the judiciary to arrest Zuma and that the EFF saw the need to step in to try to convince him to comply with the directive of the state capture commission, the Zondo Commission, led by former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
He said the visit was done publicly and in transparency, during the day. He added that despite them trying to convince him, Zuma resisted their intervention, and was later arrested.
“It is unfortunate that our plea fell on deaf ears and that today our intervention is misrepresented as part of some political ploy gone wrong.”
All of the EFF’s interventions in the State Capture issue involving Zuma, was done in order to protect people, Malema said.
The party does not look back on regret for doing so, added Malema.
“Our interest at the time was to protect innocent lives that would be lost, and for attempting to do this, we regret nothing because we did it out of love for our people and the nation,” he said.
Malema said they were vindicated when Zuma was arrested, and his arrest led to the July 21, 2021, unrest and senseless killings of black people.
“Had our interventions succeeded, the tragic loss of black lives massacred in Phoenix and other parts of KwaZulu-Natal could have been prevented,” Malema told the delegates.
At the time of the February 2021 visit, Malema's pictures in Nkandla with Zuma circulated on social media.
In the pictures the two were seen in a cheerful expression, inside Zuma homestead, holding cups of tea.
Former EFF member Dali Mpofu, who now joined Zuma’s MK Party, Tony Yengeni African National Congress (ANC) struggle stalwart, Mzwandile Musina, former Ekurhuleni metro mayor and EFF’s Vuyani Pambo, also joined them in the tea session.
Addressing the media outside Zuma’s homestead, Pambo said the meeting went well, but did not disclose any details.
Pambo said the tea was “nice and sweet, very hot”.
Despite that, the relationship between Malema and Zuma has not been good recently, especially as key EFF members such as former deputy president, his longtime friend and ally Floyd Shivambu, Mpofu, and former Public Prosecutor Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane defected to MK party.
Malema believes Zuma wants to destroy his party.
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