The outspoken opposition leader, dressed in red EFF regalia, started off with his favourite topic – #paybackthemoney.
Zuma proposed, in a letter to the Constitutional Court this week, to pay back a portion of the money spent on upgrades at his private home in Nkandla, but Malema was unimpressed.
“Let’s all demonstrate that we are tired of corruption and a clear example of corruption: Zuma and Guptas. Summarising the two, they are called Zuptas. Zuma must fall on the 9th of February, the ANC must fall… The ANC is constituted by corrupt individuals… Why is the ANC so scared of the president? We are not scared of Zuma,” Malema told journalists.
The EFF and Democratic Alliance were due to argue in the Constitutional Court on February 9 that Zuma needed to follow the recommendations of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela that he pay back part of the public money spent on his Nkandla compound.
On Tuesday, Zuma sent a letter to the court’s registrar to suggest that it order the auditor general and finance minister to determine how much he should pay back for the multi-million-rand upgrade for non-security features at his private residence.
Malema said they would not agree to any settlement from Zuma unless he agreed that Madonsela’s remedial actions were binding.
“Our response to Zuma is very clear. We are not going to agree to any settlement that doesn’t reaffirm the powers of the public protector. Zuma should agree in the settlement that by failing to implement remedial action of the public protector, he was in breach of the Constitution and oath of office.”
Malema warned that the EFF may disrupt Zuma’s State Of the Nation Address if he did not start with an explanation on the removal of former minister of finance Nhlanhla Nene.
“Before he speaks on February 11, he will have to start by explaining why he removed Nene. That is the first sentence. If he doesn’t start by explaining why he removed Nene, stop there.
“We are not scared of being beaten up. It will not be the first time and it will not be the last time… It will be us, the white T-shirts and Zuma,” he said.
‘He is our very own Donald Trump’
Moving on to the controversial Gupta family and it’s ties with the Zuma family, Malema launched a lengthy tirade on their influence and power, even going so far as to announce a ban on journalists from Gupta-owned media companies from attending EFF events.
This caused a stir among editors on Twitter, and a very quick response from the South African National Editors Forum, denouncing him.
“Guptas must leave the country. We are going to take practical action. It’s a battle. It’s a war against Guptas. We want to advise the Gupta television and newspapers [that] they must no longer come to EFF events because they are not safe for them.
“We are not going to allow South Africa to be sold over a plate of curry,” he added.
Malema then went on to attack Maimane: “I can’t be led by Maimane. He is a young boy. I’m not going to be led by a person from church, just straight to politics… A priest just straight to politics, without going through the ranks. Never!”
Turning to Sars and it’s reported pursuit of R20m in unpaid taxes by Malema, the EFF leader said: “There is no Sars that has taken me to court. I have taken Sars to court. Sars is the most corrupt institution. Sars is led by a group of tribalists. They have inherited that white Afrikaaner attitude. They have an attitude that they must close down black men.”
New Age Editor-in-Chief Moegsien Williams hit back at Malema, saying he was South Africa’s very own Donald Trump.
“It reminds me a lot of Donald Trump in the United States… who wants to ban Muslims and throw reporters out of press conferences.
“He is our very own Donald Trump and I worry about that kind of language when we have an election coming up,” Williams said.