EFF leader Julius Malema has weighed in on the ANC’s succession debate, saying President Cyril Ramaphosa was not deserving of a second term.

In a fiery speech in parliament responding to the state of the nation address on Monday, Malema said SA had gone from bad to worse under Ramaphosa’s leadership.

He cited high levels of poverty, unemployment, corruption, frequent electricity cuts and load-shedding, collapsing state-owned entities and dysfunctional municipalities, among other things, as Ramaphosa's failings.

“President, you must admit that under your leadership SA is in a worse condition than it has ever been. You are the worst president ever for black people, and we are not surprised that black people are getting poorer under your leadership.”

Ramaphosa’s “dream” to become president has been nothing short of a headache and nightmare for SA, according to Malema.

“Your dream of being a president has come true, so, please, now that you have fulfilled your dream, why are you not leaving us in peace? Because the highest ambition was to become a president, now you want to come and serve as president [again], to do what?

“You are not doing anything. You are just on top and doing nothing.”  

Malema criticised Ramaphosa’s Sona, which made no mention of the sports, arts and culture sector. He said this was total disregard for the people in that sector.  

He also took at swipe at Ramaphosa’s “failure to empower young ministers” and put them in critical positions.  

Malema called on Ramaphosa to withdraw his remark that government did not create jobs but the private sector did — saying the comments killed morale.

“You have killed the hopes of a lot people with that statement. You have destroyed them. The people who are looking to government to rescue them out of poverty, you stood here and told them that it will never happen. They rely on you, trusted you and you came here and destroyed their hopes. Shame on you.”

Malema also slammed the possible privatisation of state-owned enterprises, saying the EFF would take to the streets to express its grievances.

“You want to auction off the country to the highest bidder by privatisation of state-owned companies and we all know who will buy these assets — the white minority capitalist class that is at the core of your leadership of our people.”

The EFF would fight privatisation, he said.

"We will go to the streets to reject any form of privatisation. 

“What began as a so-called new dawn has become huge unemployment, increased violence against women and children, collapsing hospitals and the greatest threats against the security of the state in post-democratic SA.”

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