It’s no wonder many people (including explain 😊 ) photoshopped a picture of Bernie Sanders in to the picture that was released of Jacob Zuma and Julius Malema having tea. (In case you missed the fuss about that Bernie Sanders picture, we explained it here.) We ALL wanted to be a fly on the wall and get the inside scoop when the former president and the EFF leader met for a cuppa last week. Now, it appears that the intrepid reporters from City Press have done just that. The newspaper reported at the weekend that the meeting was all about a cynical attempt to undermine President Cyril Ramaphosa. It seems as though Malema told Zuma that he should appear before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry (which he has refused to do). But not because it is the lawful thing to do: if Zuma does this, Malema reportedly argued, it would help to “expose” the commission’s “bias” towards him. Whereas not doing so would result in a media onslaught against the former president (duh!). It gets better. Apparently, Malema promised to help Zuma oust Cyril Ramaphosa if he cooperates with the commission (and the plan to make it look biased). The plan is to make Ramaphosa so weak (by mobilising his enemies) that he can’t implement the commission’s findings, which are likely to make Malema and Zuma look pretty bad. The commission has apparently been poking around in the EFF’s bank accounts. Ironically, the meeting happened at Zuma’s Nkandla home. The EFF famously went to court to get Zuma to “Pay back the money!” over upgrades to Nkandla, paid for by the state. As the saying goes, it seems like a case of, “My enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

Like this? Sign up for our weekly news round-up, The Wrap, delivered to your phone or email every week.

+ posts