JZ, Juju mum on Nkandla talks
FORMER president Jacob Zuma and EFF leader Julius Malema spent five hours having tea yesterday – but what they discussed remains in the bag.
Malema arrived in a field several metres outside of Zuma’s sprawling R246-million KwaNxamalala, Nkandla, abode in a helicopter after 12.30pm yesterday, before being whisked away into the former head of state’s home in a luxury German SUV, where he remained enclosed for the “tea party” for nearly five hours.
Malema was then taken in the same vehicle to the waiting chopper, before taking to the skies with his entourage, which included advocate Dali Mpofu, SC.
Also among the visitors were ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni, Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina and the EFF’s national spokesperson Vuyani Pambo.
The meeting comes in the wake of the 78-year-old former head of state blatantly refusing to adhere to the Constitutional Court’s judgment ordering him to appear before the commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Addressing the media outside Zuma’s homestead, Pambo said the meeting had gone well, but did not disclose details to the gathering of waiting reporters.
Pambo said there had not been a theme for the meeting put out to the public or media, but the agenda between the former leader of the ANC Youth League and the former ANC and state president was tea.
Pambo said that the media had not been invited, and they were only talking to the media as a courtesy.
“The meeting went very well, the tea was nice and sweet – very hot.
“So you know the practice of having tea is such that it’s a slow process, you can’t just gulp it like you drink other things, so you have to take your time,” was all Pambo would tell the media.
The meeting had garnered much interest on social media.
About an hour after the meeting,
Masina took to his Twitter account and posted a picture of the entourage, which he captioned: “Today we did what many thought was impossible and united Black Leadership in the interest of our Constitutional Democracy @Julius_S_Malema @PresJGZuma in my capacity as Citizen Facilitator. Watch the outcome and be a judge.”
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said that it was difficult to ascertain what the meeting could have been about and questioned Zuma’s intentions on creating a media furore over meeting a leader of another party while the ANC was not there.
“Where is the ANC in all of this? They need to respond. Were they part of the meeting or what? Mzwandile Masina was there, but it is not clear if he was part of the ANC as a party or is Zuma now just doing what he wants?” Mathekga said.
In television news reports, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Zuma should be given time and allowed space as he was being counselled by different people following his statement in which he defied the Constitutional Court’s judgment ordering him to appear before the Zondo Commission.