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Twitter reacts to the Economic Freedom Front
The EFF were seemingly renamed in court on Thursday by Judge Lettie Molopa-Sethosa.
EFF leader Julius Malema speaks at Sankopano Alexandra stadium in Johannesburg, 1 May 2019, at a May Day Rally. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
In the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday, where President Cyril Ramaphosa successfully obtained an interdict that will put remedial action he was meant to enforce against Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan on pause, Judge Lettie Molopa-Sethosa referred to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) as the “Economic Freedom Front” several times while reading her judgment.
Twitter, as usual, did not let this mistake – which the judge apologised for at one point – go unnoticed.
Many on the platform found the error funny. The party’s detractors, meanwhile, used it as ammunition.
“Maybe they are the Economic Freedom FRONT, if we consider their flip-flopping, VBS and being in bed with the DA,” one user said.
READ MORE: Ramaphosa wins against ‘mind-boggling’ Mkhwebane, with costs granted against her and EFF
“The only time a judgment is sound is when it is in your favour. The Economic Freedom Front – err Fighters – have clearly mastered the art of flip-flopping,” said another.
Some EFF supporters, meanwhile, appeared to believe a more sinister motive was behind the slip of the tongue, which one user suggested might be Freudian.
“Her subconscious mind is being faithful to the master,” this user said.
Another called it a sign that the public protector and would lose the case, adding that it showed the judiciary had been captured, a claim recently made by Julius Malema.
Others just expressed their disappointment.
“It is imperative that such basic information be known by someone who occupies such a high position,” one person said.
Even had to call them Economic Freedom Front many times. 😂😂😂
— Musevenzo™️ (@MusevenzoL) August 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/mtsekeo/status/1159438082699079685
https://twitter.com/TMayekiso/status/1159413613985226753
https://twitter.com/LalasMolala/status/1159411552635752448
The only time a judgement is sound is when it is in your favor. The economic freedom front – err fighters – have clearly mastered the art of flip-flopping. https://t.co/MM2pH6S3at
— Cockwomble Spotter (@princecloete) August 8, 2019
So the judge renamed the EFF" ECONOMIC FREEDOM FRONT" i wonder who is footing the bill for all the cases they lost, the obsession with PG is sickening. #mkhwebanevsramaphosa
— Vhosilima@1 (@Vhosilima11) August 8, 2019
Did Justice Molopa-Sethosa call them the “Economic Freedom Front” #PublicProtector pic.twitter.com/O0PF6iQGCl
— Lionel Adendorf (@LionelAdendorf) August 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/Muzi01/status/1159396440810147840
Then she says Economic Freedom 'Front' again, making me wonder if she'll get the judgment right…
— Lord Maths (@maths_lord) August 8, 2019
This judge is annoying. Why is she referring to the EFF as the Economic Freedom Front?? #RamaphosaLeaks
— Sipho Madyo (@SiphoMadyo) August 8, 2019
She keeps referring to the Economic Freedom Fighters as Economic Freedom Front🤦🏾♂️. We will start there. That's where she gets her mandate, the Freedom Front, her subconscious mind is being faithful to the master🤣🤣🤣🤣
— @Rev_Mente🇵🇸 (@Rev_Mente) August 8, 2019
Did judge Letty just said Economic Freedom Front? pic.twitter.com/fLcWB6mCE0
— @Maspala (@111Giftos) August 8, 2019
ECONOMIC FREEDOM FRONT by the whole judge?
— 1Noksman (@sbuda1noks) August 8, 2019
She has just call us Economic freedom front,that's a sign Pp &EFF will lose these case#Judiciary captured
— Zamani Sothinabantu (@ZamaniMahlangu) August 8, 2019
Regardless of whether she was getting the party’s name right or wrong, Judge Molopa-Sethosa made it clear that she was not impressed with the EFF’s contribution to Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s defence, which they joined.
Aside from granting Ramaphosa the interdict, which would mean he would only have to implement the remedial action within the 30 days following the finalisation of Gordhan’s application to take Mkhwebane’s report on review, the judge also ruled against both the public protector and the EFF on costs.
She ruled that the EFF was “basically being unreasonable” against the president.
READ MORE: Mkhwebane won’t oppose Ramaphosa’s interdict bid, but won’t ‘back down’ either
The remedial action was stipulated by Mkhwebane in a report dealing with matters including the early retirement payment to former Sars commissioner Ivan Pillay.
In her report released in May, Mkhwebane found Gordhan to have acted inappropriately during his time as finance minister when he approved an early retirement payout to Pillay.
This is separate to a report released subsequently, which found that Gordhan had violated the constitution through his connection to the so-called Sars “rogue unit” and through allegedly lying to parliament about meetings with the Gupta family.
The remedial action called for in this report is on pause too, following Gordhan successfully obtaining an interdict on July 29.
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