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Godrich Gardee replaces Floyd Shivambu as Malema returns for third term as EFF president
Malema says ‘He banna!’ to pics of Lekota’s tiny ‘national congress’
Twitter had a field day on Saturday after it appeared the struggling Cope can fit an entire congress into a thatched conference room.
Picture: Twitter/Mosiuoa Lekota
EFF president Julius Malema, his deputy Floyd Shivambu and many others on Twitter were taken aback at photographs posted by Congress of the People president Mosiuoa Lekota of the party’s supposed “national congress” – which looked more like a small team-building session for a minor start-up company in Midrand.
If there were 40 people in the thatched conference room, that would be a generous estimate. Some on Twitter said they could only count 14 people.
https://twitter.com/Mathobelasbonga/status/1010568419153010688
By contrast, the national conferences of the ANC and DA attract thousands of delegates, while the EFF’s first conference in Bloemfontein a few years ago was also well attended.
COPE Congress National Congress in session. pic.twitter.com/RkUAjJU0bR
— Mosiuoa Lekota (@MTLekota) June 23, 2018
Shivambu and Malema reacted with disbelief that the gathering could be so humble and that Lekota could so proudly share photos of it.
He banna, what?
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) June 23, 2018
He banna!
— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) June 23, 2018
Lekota realised why he was getting these reactions and tried to qualify the photos by explaining that it was in fact just a meeting of his Congress National Committee, not a full-blown national congress.
It's is Congress National Committee (CNC) MEETING. Not national congress.
— Mosiuoa Lekota (@MTLekota) June 23, 2018
However, the mockery would not stop.
— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) June 23, 2018
Look at the projector😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/iWIMdmAbqu
— Ipfi (@BlackConsciousd) June 23, 2018
This is a stokfel meeting in Mr Lekota's living room… pic.twitter.com/F6WhJIFcJV
— A Z A N I A (@SupaUNLOCKD) June 23, 2018
A simple whatsapp group would have done justice 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/dZqms7wvs1
— BAZOOKA (@isaac_hlungwana) June 23, 2018
Looks like they are in a class room 😂😂😂😂
— schumaniosv (@schumainiosv) June 23, 2018
The party was earlier this month also laughed at when Lekota posted photos of himself handing over three soccer balls to the Computer Stars Football Club in Mandela Park, Ladybrand, in the Free State.
Some found it extraordinary that the party could make such a big fuss about such a small donation, with many critics pointing out that the balls did not even look high quality, while some suggested they’d actually been purchased at a bargain price from Shoprite.
Malema mocked his fellow parliamentarian that time too, saying Lekota was responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Thuma Mina call.
Cope President responding to Thuma Mina call by President @CyrilRamaphosa. 🤣😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/WwPDJAdyHu
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) June 12, 2018
Cope has seen a dramatic drop in support from the dizzy heights of its founding. The party only scraped its way to three National Assembly seats in the last election, a huge drop from their debut of 7.4% of the vote, which gave them 30 seats.
Some sarcastically said on Saturday night Twitter shouldn’t mock the small party.
Guys pls behave😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/p4zHrC46Dc
— Levels_Up🇿🇦 (@BJMilazi) June 23, 2018
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