Jacob Zuma orders ANCYL to not dare block Julius Malema from Nkandla

05 February 2021 - 10:25
By Amanda Khoza
Former political allies Julius Malema and Jacob Zuma in October 2009. The EFF leader and former president are due to meet on Friday.
Image: Mlondolozi Mbolo Former political allies Julius Malema and Jacob Zuma in October 2009. The EFF leader and former president are due to meet on Friday.

Former president Jacob Zuma is said to have instructed members of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in KwaZulu-Natal not to prevent EFF leader Julius Malema from entering his Nkandla homestead, apparently after receiving reports they were planning to do so.

“They r (are) mobilising. We will chase Youth League members (because) the visit is not political‚” said a source with intimate details of the meeting - scheduled for Friday.

Zuma and Malema stunned the country this week when they agreed on Twitter to have a meeting over tea.

SowetanLIVE sister publication TimesLIVE understands that Malema is due to arrive in Nkandla at 11am.

“(The) Old man said youth league members must not stop Julius. Juju is coming around 11 or 12 with (Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile) Masina. It will be a meeting extended to lunch‚” said the source‚ who asked to remain anonymous.

The meeting came after Zuma announced that he would defy a Constitutional Court order by refusing to appear before the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture.

It's not yet clear what the two politicians‚ who were once political allies but then became rivals‚ are due to discuss in their meeting. The Zondo commission is likely to form part of their discussions‚ though.

It’s also understood that the two will come out of the meeting after smoking a peace pipe‚ following years of a bitter political rivalry that saw Malema fired from the ANC‚ only to form the EFF‚ a move him catapulted him to parliament where he became a thorn in the side of Zuma.

Zuma’s nephew‚ Inkosi Simphiwe Eric Zuma‚ of the Nxamalala Traditional Authority‚ said: “I think Malema realised that he was being used to get rid of Zuma‚ even during the time that the president was no longer going to Parliament it was because of Malema and the insults he hurled against Zuma.”

“You see then they painted Zuma as corrupt when he was innocent. I think he wants to raise a few points with ubaba before he makes an official public statement on the matter. I think he also wants to apologise and concede that he made a mistake.”

Zuma's eldest son‚ Edward‚ simply laughed when asked to share further details on the meeting.

ANC secretary general Ace Magashule‚ a long-standing Zuma supporter‚ this week came out in defence of Zuma's decision to defy the Constitutional Court order.

“Leave comrade Zuma alone‚ just leave him. What is the problem? What has Zuma done now? I can’t talk on behalf of President Zuma… President Zuma is a South African‚ he has rights‚ so you can’t want me to talk on behalf of President Zuma‚" Magashule told the media this week.