‘Choose your battles wisely’ Shivambu warns Mashaba after complaint against Malema
After slamming Malema's 'hypocritical' call for election delay, Mashaba has taken a more formal route following Malema's remarks on foreign nationals.
EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu. Picture: Sabrina Dean/OFM
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu has warned Action SA leader Herman Mashaba to stay clear of the red berets and choose his battles wisely.
This after Mashaba announced that he had laid a formal complaint against EFF leader Julius Malema “for his public encouragement of illegal immigration” last week.
During his party’s virtual press briefing on Thursday, Malema slammed government’s decision to close the country’s 20 land borders to curb the spread of Covid-19 and said virus came “from Italy, not Lesotho”.
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He said in part: “Let the borders be open and if the gates are not going to be opened for SADC, fellow SADC people, please find a creative way. This is your home, your families are here.
“There’s no way anyone is going to close you out here. Lesotho and Free State are one thing, Mpumalanga and Swaziland are one thing, North West and Botswana are one thing, Limpopo and Zimbabwe are one thing. What is the point? There is no point at all…”
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Today I have written to the Speaker of Parliament to lay a formal complaint for these remarks.
I don’t care who you are, no MP has the right to openly advocate for our laws to be broken.
Principles like the rule of law are not instruments to be used when politically convenient. pic.twitter.com/2sE0Y3KIe7
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) January 18, 2021
Formal complaint
In response, Mashaba said he would lay a formal complaint against Malema.
“Our legal team has compiled a complaint that details how Malema, in making his remarks, is in breach of his oath of office as an MP, and his advocacy for the breach of the MP Code of Conduct, Ethics and Members interests:
“As a Member of Parliament, Malema is given the responsibility to make or amend laws, but no MP has the right to openly advocate for these same laws to be broken. When one considers that this public call for illegal immigration comes at a time of a global pandemic, where a second wave of infections has overwhelmed our hospitals, his remarks warrant the strongest actions of parliament.
“Malema, like many MPs, needs to be taught that principles like the rule of law are not instruments to be used when politically convenient. Malema enjoyed branding former President Jacob Zuma a constitutional delinquent, and yet now acts in a manner which warrants this title himself,” said Mashaba.
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Shivambu’s warning
Shivambu however, warned Mashaba to stay away from “liberal right wing” politics if he wants his party to have a long lifespan.
“Don’t adopt this kind of liberal right wing politics. Your political life will be very difficult and your party lifespan short lived if you adopt the ultra right self hating politics. Stay away from the EFF, many who tried are nowhere to be seen now. 1st warning!
“It’s so shocking how toddler politicians whose claim to fame are EFF policies of insourcing and many others have now grown liberal horns. You won’t win against the EFF. Choose your battles wisely,” warned Shivambu.
This is Mashaba’s second move against Malema since last week’s press briefing. He slammed the EFF leader’s call for election delay and labelled it “hypocritical and unconstitutional“.
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