Speaking at a media briefing on the second day of the party's national people's assembly, Malema said its progressive caucus partner was not woke in the same way the red berets were.
“It has to subscribe to Marx, Lenin, even if it doesn't subscribe to Fanon, but that's fine. But at the most basic, you have to align with the progressive international left. And not just by saying it in rallies. It must be in your documents. It must be in your policy that this is where we stand,” said Malema.
Malema distinguished black consciousness as more than just rhetoric, but a continuous physical act.
“To be black conscious is not a mere statement, it is what we do. It is your consciousness and alignment and what kind of decisions you are for.”
He cited President Cyril Ramaphosa's handling of the Marikana massacre and the Fees Must Fall protest under Zuma as prime examples of the lack of consciousness.
“You can't kill people in Marikana who are protesting. They left the building of the employer because they didn't want anyone saying they are disturbing the business, or that they are a threat to property. They left it and went to stay on a mountain.
“And a black conscious leader takes guns and goes and shoots them at the mountain when they are away from the establishment's property.
“Even with Fees Must Fall, they [students] were shot at,” said Malema.
The red berets leader criticised Zuma for misleading students with his bold announcement of free education in the country several years ago.
He accused him of betraying black children.
“What is even more worse is the lie that he has introduced a free higher education. There was a year where he announced that from next year there is going to be free higher education. And then he left and there was nothing. He said that because he knew he was leaving anyway.
“It's not black consciousness to lie to black kids. It's not black consciousness. And there is nothing black consciousness about MK.”
When asked about the future of the progressive caucus considering his strong views on how ideologically different they are, Malema called it a marriage of convenience that exists only on the parliamentary platform.
“Progressive caucus is a name we have given to each other in parliament for convenience sake. That if there are issues that we want to lobby, these are the first people we start with.”
However, he said this arrangement does not stop them from pursuing their interests with the help of other parties.
“It doesn't stop us from lobbying the DA. It doesn't stop us from lobbying the ANC. These ones we have agreed on a primary programme of action, like land expropriation without compensation, all of that. And at the centre of those things is the EFF. So, a progressive organisation has to be left in order to succeed.”
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WATCH | 'There's nothing black conscious about MK' — Malema
“Progressive caucus is a name we have given to each other in parliament for convenience sake. That if there are issues that we want to lobby, these are the first people we start with.”
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
EFF leader Julius Malema has slammed the idea that Jacob Zuma's MK Party has any semblance of black consciousness.
EFF leader Julius Malema says there is nothing black conscious about the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK). He was briefing the media ahead of the party's election of new leaders at its third National People's Assembly being held at Nasrec in Johannesburg. #SouthAfrica #News www.timeslive.co.za
Speaking at a media briefing on the second day of the party's national people's assembly, Malema said its progressive caucus partner was not woke in the same way the red berets were.
“It has to subscribe to Marx, Lenin, even if it doesn't subscribe to Fanon, but that's fine. But at the most basic, you have to align with the progressive international left. And not just by saying it in rallies. It must be in your documents. It must be in your policy that this is where we stand,” said Malema.
Malema distinguished black consciousness as more than just rhetoric, but a continuous physical act.
“To be black conscious is not a mere statement, it is what we do. It is your consciousness and alignment and what kind of decisions you are for.”
He cited President Cyril Ramaphosa's handling of the Marikana massacre and the Fees Must Fall protest under Zuma as prime examples of the lack of consciousness.
“You can't kill people in Marikana who are protesting. They left the building of the employer because they didn't want anyone saying they are disturbing the business, or that they are a threat to property. They left it and went to stay on a mountain.
“And a black conscious leader takes guns and goes and shoots them at the mountain when they are away from the establishment's property.
“Even with Fees Must Fall, they [students] were shot at,” said Malema.
The red berets leader criticised Zuma for misleading students with his bold announcement of free education in the country several years ago.
He accused him of betraying black children.
“What is even more worse is the lie that he has introduced a free higher education. There was a year where he announced that from next year there is going to be free higher education. And then he left and there was nothing. He said that because he knew he was leaving anyway.
“It's not black consciousness to lie to black kids. It's not black consciousness. And there is nothing black consciousness about MK.”
When asked about the future of the progressive caucus considering his strong views on how ideologically different they are, Malema called it a marriage of convenience that exists only on the parliamentary platform.
“Progressive caucus is a name we have given to each other in parliament for convenience sake. That if there are issues that we want to lobby, these are the first people we start with.”
However, he said this arrangement does not stop them from pursuing their interests with the help of other parties.
“It doesn't stop us from lobbying the DA. It doesn't stop us from lobbying the ANC. These ones we have agreed on a primary programme of action, like land expropriation without compensation, all of that. And at the centre of those things is the EFF. So, a progressive organisation has to be left in order to succeed.”
TimesLIVE
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