Cheers for Malema: Inside the EFF’s third National People’s Assembly
Rasta paints Julius Malema. Picture: Screenshot.
Portrait artist Lebani Sirenje, popularly known as Rasta, was in attendance at the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) final Tshela Thupa rally at Orlando stadium in Soweto on Sunday, where he tried his hand at painting the party’s commander-in-chief Julius Malema.
While Rasta is often accused of getting his portraits horribly wrong, and is famous – or infamous – on social media as a result, it seems he “got it right” with his portrayal of Malema, as one Twitter user put it.
Whether this is good or bad news is a matter of opinion, with some Twitter users seemingly impressed with Rasta for having improved and others apparently disappointed in the growth shown by the artist.
READ MORE: Rasta strikes again! Infamous artist paints Ramaphosa at ANC manifesto launch
President Cyril Ramaphosa was not as lucky as Malema when it comes to how his Rasta painting turned out.
Rasta was in attendance at the ANC manifesto launch and 107th birthday celebration at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in January, where his portrayal of the president was widely panned.
More recently, Sirenje was forced to defend himself on Twitter and explain that a portrait of Ramaphosa that was being slated on social media was not painted by him.
Rasta is also here at the #EFFTshelaThupaRally pic.twitter.com/Mz5wZvUiBH
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) May 5, 2019
If Rasta got it right this time surely SA voters will.
— NOT_YET_UHURU (@Robert04252669) May 5, 2019
lol I see sings of improvements
— Mamabolo 👨❤️👨👩❤️👩👨👨👦☀️🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️ (@T_Boi_SA) May 5, 2019
Rasta is now mastering his craft
— mpho mofolo (@mphomofolo) May 5, 2019
So Rasta is the Man, he prefered #EFFTshelaThupaRally instead of #ANCSiyanqoba siyabonga Rastaman.
— Dube THULANI (@DubeThulaniYes) May 5, 2019
I think he was being deliberate with the other paintings, this is his best work thus far.🤣🤣🤣
— Seshego Sa MajaTladi (@SeshegoR) May 5, 2019
Rasta have totally Respect for Command in Chief…. He really tried ✊✊ #EFFFinalPush pic.twitter.com/oENXBliPe9
— Mandlakazi🏳️🌈 (@SphamandlaM_) May 5, 2019
Nor Ras… Nor… This is unlike him… Who gave him permission to improve kodwa 💔😭😭 pic.twitter.com/KHl9ziQc31
— The Litigator 💼 (@HectorMakhata) May 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/GoitseKakapa/status/1124953385659248641
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