Carl Niehaus shades Derek Hanekom over Nkandla tea party jab

17 February 2021 - 13:30 By cebelihle bhengu
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Former president Jacob Zuma with members of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association NEC at his Nkandla homestead. Among the recent visitors were MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe, left, and spokesperson Carl Niehaus.
Former president Jacob Zuma with members of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association NEC at his Nkandla homestead. Among the recent visitors were MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe, left, and spokesperson Carl Niehaus.
Image: Supplied

Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) spokesperson Carl Niehaus  on Tuesday said former ANC minister Derek Hanekom must dial his “friends” in the EFF if he wants to know “what good” came from Julius Malema’s meeting with former president Jacob Zuma.

Hanekom recently took aim at the EFF and its leader after Zuma snubbed the state capture inquiry at which he was expected to testify from February 15 to 19. 

Although neither the EFF nor Zuma have disclosed the contents of their meeting earlier this month, there was speculation the red berets sought to convince the embattled former president to testify before the inquiry chaired by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo.

Zuma’s defiance of the Constitutional Court ruling compelling him to appear at the inquiry was met with an outpouring of reactions from civil society and politicians, including Hanekom.

The former minister asked: “Perhaps those who flew by helicopter to meet former president Jacob Zuma to have tea with him could tell us what good they think came out of that meeting?”

Niehaus told Hanekom that getting the inside scoop on the meeting was as easy as dialling the EFF.

“Why don’t you meet up with the EFF at your favourite meeting place at Eastgate Mugg & Bean, where you were plotting to oust [former] president Jacob Zuma? Perhaps if you ask nicely, Julius Malema may tell you - but I doubt it because this time you don’t have a list of betrayers to trade with.” 

What we know about the EFF and Hanekom’s ‘friendship’

In 2019, Malema revealed Hanekom had met former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee to discuss ANC MPs supporting the 2017 EFF-sponsored motion of no confidence against Zuma.

Said Malema: “Today he calls us fascists, but Derek Hanekom plotted with the EFF to bring down president Zuma. The same goes with Solly Mapaila [deputy general secretary of the SA Communist Party].”

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu backed Malema’s claims and said Hanekom “kept  harassing the EFF leadership with calls to give the names of MPs who were going to vote with the opposition to remove Zuma”.

Hanekom did not deny the claims and said it was for the good of the ANC.

“At the time, they were deeply concerned about the state of the country,” he said.


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