Can Julius Malema be trusted by voters when he once promised that he would die for President Jacob Zuma?
This was the question Zuma asked in Ikageng township outside Potchefstroom during his election campaign trail in the North West earlier today.
Zuma was referring to the days when Malema fiercely defended the president before he was expelled by the governing party.
“He used to say ‘I will die for Zuma’. How do you trust now that he means what he says?” Zuma asked.
Malema responded on Twitter.
@City_Press @PolokoTau he wanted to continue to molest me without Vaseline and I must keep quite, he can go to hell...
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) July 14, 2016
Zuma had earlier addressed a similar gathering in Jouberton township outside Klerksdorp where he also took a swipe at Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and other political parties.
“That man (Malema) used to say ‘the ANC is in my blood; I have the DNA of the ANC’. But today mayibabo!” he said, his trademark exclamation with a giggle suggesting Malema was singing a different tune now.
Zuma urged people not to vote for the EFF and other parties because they have no experience in government and, unlike the ANC, they could not be “trusted”.
He referred to parties without using their names as he continued to mock them and their leaders.
“There is a new one which I am also forgetting its name but I always recognise its leader (as) ill-disciplined, misbehaving and he was sacked; expelled from the ANC. Very angry he formed an organisation for revenge. There is no political objective but the objective is revenge because he was chased away,” Zuma said.
“Why should you worry about such an organisation? I always wonder if I was to vote for that organisation what is it that I am voting for? Ill-discipline, no respect, rude language? The only organisation that represents the interests of the people of this country is the ANC.”
Zuma – who was singing and dancing much to the pleasure of those who had gathered – seemed in high spirits as he continued to undervalue other parties.