Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema is suing his one-time friend and now political rival African National Congress Member of Parliament, Boy Mamabolo for R1 million over claims that he abuses his wife.
Mamabolo made the claims during last week’s State of the Nation address and repeated it in Tuesday’s debate on the State of the Nation Address.
Click below to watch Boy Mamabolo accusing Julius Malema of abusing his wife:
Malema denied the claims and then accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of abusing his late wife, causing him and his party to be booted out of the House.
Mamobolo repeated a question in the house that Malema is abusing his wife.
“You are abusing your wife and we are asking you in front of the nation if the matter is true that you are abusing your wife, will you apologise?
‘Political points’
Political Analyst Ongama Mtinka has criticised the ANC for using serious issues like gender-based violence to score cheap political points.
Mtinka says, “An important question to ask from Boy Mamabolo is when did he get to hear that Julius Malema was allegedly abusing his wife but the second thing is that if there’s any wind of truth to this allegations, he is creating a situation where it would be very difficult for even the purported victim to deal with this because it comes out in weaponised political platform and it’s in bad taste.”
Chaos erupts in National Assembly
Initially, Malema ignored the question and continued with his prepared reply to the SONA. This raised the ire of ANC MPs who demanded that Malema answer.
When Malema answered the question, chaos erupted. “I have never raised my hand to my wife. I have challenged the President and asked those who have not beaten their wife in the last 25 years to raise your hand because I’ve heard that Ramaphosa had beaten his late wife Nomazizi.”
He was asked by the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Amos Masondo, to withdraw the comment or leave the House.
“Honourable Malema please withdraw the comment or leave the house,” asked Masondo.
Malema left the House, with his caucus following him.
Click below to watch EFF leader Julius Malema responding to a question about gender-based violence:
‘Shameful days’
Chief Volunteer Officer at Future Kings’ Rams Mabote says, “ This will and should go down as one of the most shameful days in the history of parliamentary politics in the new South Africa.”
Mabote says, “In what was supposed to be a debate of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, South Africans were subjected to mudslinging match between adult men who trivialised and used women abuse and gender-based violence as a political weapon to shame each other.”
Click below to read Rams Mabote’s comments on SONA debate:
