'When it suits them, Paul Mashatile is useless': Lamola hits back at 'flip-flopping' Malema

Justice minister and ANC deputy president hopeful Ronald Lamola has taken aim at “flip-flopping” EFF leader Julius Malema for backing ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile over President Cyril Ramaphosa to lead the ANC.

This comes after Malema told News24 his party was willing to work with the ANC under Mashatile's leadership, rather than the DA, in coalition agreements after the 2024 elections.

Mashatile and Lamola are in the running for the position of ANC deputy president at the party’s elective conference later this year.

In November last year, Malema vowed to never work with Mashatile, calling him “dishonest” and a “schemer”.

“Paul Mashatile is one of the most dishonest people ever, you must never meet that guy and think something will happen. Through his scheming and political manoeuvring he managed to hold the ANC staff members for four months,” Malema said at the time.

“They thought the salary was coming, and when they said it's four months, I said, ‘that’s Paul for you'. He’s a schemer, he works like that.”

According to Malema, the EFF demanded that Mashatile should not sit in the same meeting as them.

“We don’t trust anything that comes out of Paul’s mouth. He’s not honest. We would rather deal with people who are honest.”

Speaking at the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela memorial in Tshwane, Lamola lamented Malema trying to interfere with internal ANC politics.

He said the EFF should not be trusted because its leaders often change their minds when the situation suits them.

He said the ANC should be guided by its own policies, resolutions, and strategies, and not by external opinions.

“There can’t be someone who stands up in a press briefing and threatens the whole ANC. When it suits them, Paul Mashatile is a useless person. He’s a junior leader of the ANC, they cannot negotiate with him,” said Lamola.

“Not long ago, when we could not have a 50% majority here in Tshwane, in the City of Ekurhuleni and the City of Johannesburg, they said we couldn’t negotiate with Paul Mashatile.

“Today Paul Mashatile is the best and he must lead the ANC. These are the kind of characters that must guide the ANC. The ANC must be guided by its policies, resolutions and strategies and tactics.”

DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille also weighed in, saying: “Julius said this about 9 months ago. Now he is saying he is ready to go into coalition with an ANC led by Paul Mashatile.”

In response to the criticism, Malema took a swipe at Lamola.

“I set the agenda for these fools, especially this one who speaks like he’s constipated,” Malema said.

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