Malema gets heat on Twitter after calling Ramaphosa a 'bastard'
EFF leader Julius Malema has topped the trends list on Twitter after calling President Cyril Ramaphosa a “bastard”.
Malema pinned the tweet to the top of his profile. It received more than 5,600 retweets and more than 14,000 likes.
Ramaphosa is the bastard, and there's nothing all of you, including him, can do.
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) June 9, 2020
The message immediately spurred thousands into commenting on Malema's message.
Social media law expert Emma Sadlier told TimesLIVE the comments are not defamatory, but rather fall under the “baseless abuse” category.
The hashtag #JuliusMalemaMustFall has received more than 7,800 comments on the issue. Here's a look at some of them:
One of the things that is making this small boy angry is that he is not president of the country and his never going to be a president of the country its too risky his state of mind is not okay. His tired shame he needs help ,he needs therapy #juliusmalemamustfall #effmustfall pic.twitter.com/BwBP7f2nzF
— Man’s NOT Barry Roux (@advovolicious) June 10, 2020
This is pure disrespect to the President of South Africa. #juliusmalemamustfall https://t.co/5L8vjtBvJg
— Miss-Congeniality (@Lady_Megann) June 9, 2020
What's the use of voting for someone who calls our president "Bastard"#juliusmalemamustfall#JuliusMalema pic.twitter.com/9uv8ZVKq2D
— L U F U N O (@LufunoMphagi_SA) June 9, 2020
You see that “nothing all of you can do...”
— STAY AT HOME!!! (@iamthembankala) June 10, 2020
now imagine a president with that mentality.#juliusmalemamustfall pic.twitter.com/CZN8DW5RtQ
#juliusmalemamustfall he will fall in your dreams, go back to sleep! pic.twitter.com/4e4RQqrHRr
— Mmadikgosi Matshego (@Mmadikgosi_23) June 10, 2020