Malema calls for ‘factional’ Zondo to be disciplined for saying Ramaphosa saved SA

16 May 2022 - 14:20
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EFF leader Julius Malema says chief justice Raymond Zondo entered political terrain and should be taken to task. File photo.
EFF leader Julius Malema says chief justice Raymond Zondo entered political terrain and should be taken to task. File photo.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi/Sunday Times

EFF leader Julius Malema has called for chief justice Raymond Zondo to be held to account for suggesting President Cyril Ramaphosa’s election saved the country.

In part 4 of the state capture report released two weeks ago, inquiry chairperson Zondo said the National Treasury would have suffered irreparable damage had it not been for the ANC conference in 2017 that elected Ramaphosa to take over from former president Jacob Zuma, TimesLIVE reported. 

Addressing the media on Monday, Malema lambasted the remarks, saying they were an endorsement for Ramaphosa’s second term when the party holds its elective conference in December.

“Zondo is a factionalist who supports Ramaphosa’s second term. That’s why he saw it necessary for him to put that Ramaphosa’s election in the ANC rescued us from where we were. He’s effectively saying if you don’t elect Ramaphosa this December, we are going to be in trouble,” said Malema. 

The red berets leader said Zondo had entered political terrain and as result should be taken to task, as was the case with his predecessor Mogoeng Mogoeng.  

His remarks come days after ANC heavyweight Tony Yengeni also accused Zondo of endorsing Ramaphosa’s re-election. Yengeni has taken up the matter with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), arguing that Zondo breached the code of judicial conduct.

“When a chief justice, no less, says a candidate for the presidency of the ruling party saved the country from ‘more damage’, that political comment carries significant political weight with voting delegates and potential political donors. This is what has moved me to lodge this complaint,” Yengeni said.

Malema lauded Yengeni’s bravery for adopting what he called a strong stance against a “celebrity wannabe chief justice”.

“The conduct committee of the JSC must make sure Zondo is disciplined, the same way they did with the previous chief justice [Mogoeng] when he descended into the terrain of politics.”

Malema said Zondo had gone beyond the limit in expressing his “political view” when he should be respected for his judgments.

TimesLIVE

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