Government failed Mama Mandela while protecting apartheid symbols: Malema

The government protects apartheid symbols‚ but not the house of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in Brandfort in the Free State‚ says EFF leader Julius Malema.

He was speaking at the party’s memorial service for the late struggle icon Brandfort on Wednesday.

“They could not protect the house that housed their own‚ yet they protect the statue of Paul Kruger [on Church Square in Pretoria]‚ yet they protect everything else that reminds us of apartheid. They failed to protect their own‚ yet they protect the murderers who killed the people who fought for our democracy.”

Malema also singled out the statue of Cecil John Rhodes at the University of Cape Town‚ which was removed in April 2015 following massive student protests over its presence on the campus.

“They will not dare defend that which gives us hope and courage.”

Malema said Brandfort is a microcosm of the failure of the ANC-led government. He believes residents should have a higher education institution‚ medical clinic and shares in the local mines.

“Winnie Mandela is better than the government of the ANC combined‚” Malema said.

“An individual who was banned‚ who was not supposed to interact with anyone‚ who was watched 24 hours [per day] by the killing machine‚ she still provided a clinic.”

Malema said residents continued to vote for the ANC‚ because they were following Madikizela-Mandela.

“You have a government which is not threatened by anything. It can’t give anything better than what Winnie Mandela gave the people of Brandfort. What a shame is the ANC government?”

Thousands flocked to Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Wednesday to pay tribute to Madikizela-Mandela. She died last week on Monday at the age of 81 at the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.