Malema says an individual who is still in the EFF knew about Floyd Shivambu’s departure two weeks before it happened.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says Jacob Zuma should have called him when his party leaders left for the former president’s Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
Malema said Zuma would sometimes make courtesy calls to him on certain matters but had betrayed him by not informing him of the departure of prominent EFF leaders.
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Malema was speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg on Monday.
“On this matter, he never cared to make this call and that makes relations strained.
“When you think you have this kind of relationship with someone, and you get treated like nothing you also start behaving like you are nothing to them,” Malema said.
More traitors in the EFF
Malema said Zuma was not the only person that betrayed him.
He claimed there were EFF members who knew about Floyd Shivambu’s planned departure from the party but said nothing.
“It’s like these people who are in the EFF who say to us, ‘We knew that so and so were going to leave but did not tell the leadership’, and still want the relationship to be the same.
“You cannot know such information and not tell me and expect me to trust you. I do not trust them, and I will never trust them,” he said.
Malema said the person he was referring to should have told him.
“My turning point was when they kept information away from me,” he said, adding that the relationship was now irreparable.
“They can go to hell. Even if I lose votes, I am not going to fight for votes by sitting with people who are disloyal,” he said.
Is Malema talking about Ndlozi?
It was not clear if Malema was referring to the party’s Member of Parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi who is known to be Shivambu’s close friend.
Ndlozi has not been seen at EFF meetings and activities for weeks and has reportedly been barred from attending the party’s elective conference in December.
Malema said there are no second chances for people that have betrayed him in the EFF.
“Do not make a mistake. Be alert, they will kill you,” he said.
“You think we must be informed by prayer and the holy spirit that people are going. That is the highest form of disloyalty.”
Malema also slammed those who failed to publicly defend the party.
“You were not there, why should I be there for you? Why should the organisation be there for you when you were not there when the organisation needed you the most.”
He said the public keeps raising the name of a person that the EFF cannot trust.
“The organisation gets insulted. The leadership gets insulted in your name. People even threaten to disrupt EFF conference in your name, you keep quiet and you want us to say you are loyal? What loyalty?”
“You would rather be alone, my brother. My sister, you would rather be alone than be in a relationship that’s not working,” he added.
No meals with disloyal people
Malema said his son had asked him to be lenient on those who had been disloyal, but he could not because of the betrayal he felt even as far back as his time in the ANC Youth League.
“If they catch you, they will finish you. You catch them you play with the opportunity then you will have yourself to blame.”
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