Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema said he was not impressed with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech and described it as waste of State of resources and useless. File picture: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema said he was unimpressed with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech, describing it as a waste of state resources and useless.
This comes after Ramaphosa delivered the opening of Parliament address on Thursday night in Cape Town, Western Cape.
Speaking to the SABC after the opening, Malema said Ramaphosa’s speech was underwhelming as it failed to reveal anything new.
“It’s very clear that the President has got no plan to transform South Africa for the better. He said nothing about international relations because that is a point of disagreement to this Government of National Unity (GNU).
“There was nothing about the judiciary, nothing about the land. He can’t concretely say, this is the amount of hectares we are going to give to our people. He said a pure lie that he created 2 million jobs which we have never seen as the people of South Africa... He comes speaks to us on the same useless things he’s non-committal,” Malema told the broadcaster.
The red beret leader also took a swipe at the positions held by white members of parliament and accused Ramaphosa of being a sell-out by implementing the GNU.
“The happiest people is the DA because its the biggest winner out of this GNU sell-out government. President Ramaphosa has once more sold-out South Africa like he did in 1994 when he didn’t attend Nelson Mandela’s inauguration and today he speaks highly of him for opportunistic reasons,” he said.
Malema said he gives the GNU government a year to collapse.
“If it doesn’t collapse within a year, it will not go beyond two years we can guarantee South Africans that a progressive government is coming which will transform the land and nationalise the banks,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the GNU was established after citizens in the 2024 elections chose not to give any party a majority vote to hold power.
He said this was a signal that the citizens wanted the political parties to work together and ensure that the country was united.
“Through their votes, they determined that the leaders of our country should set aside their political differences and come together as one to overcome the severe challenges that confront our nation,” he said.
“They sent a clear message that without unity, cooperation, and partnership, our efforts to end poverty, unemployment, and inequality will not succeed.”
The GNU is already in motion, a cabinet has been formed and ministers have been given their roles.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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