PRETORIA – South African opposition leader Julius Malema did not mince words on Wednesday when he described Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu PF, as a “criminal syndicate.“
Malema, who leads the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), South Africa’s third-largest political party, went on to accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa‘s regime of maintaining its grip on power through military force.
In an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Malema expressed his view that Zanu PF is not a popular political party in Zimbabwe.
He characterized it as an entity that “steals elections, uses the army, and the police to intimidate people.”
Malema’s remarks come in the wake of Zimbabwe’s recent elections, where President Mnangagwa was declared the winner with 52 percent of the vote in August.
However, opposition groups accused the electoral commission of suppressing the opposition vote by delivering ballot papers late to certain areas.
Zanu PF agents were also accused of widespread intimidation, prompting observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to note that the elections fell short of the standard for democratic elections.
Malema’s comments about Zanu PF were part of a broader discussion about the decline of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa.
Political analysts predict that the ANC might receive less than 50 percent of the popular vote in elections scheduled for the following year.
“The history of the liberation movement on the continent is such that after 30 years, it becomes self-destructive,” Malema remarked.
“It becomes a snake that bites and eats itself, so whether the EFF is there or not, the ANC is going to die a natural death, the same thing as Zanu PF.”
The African National Congress has governed South Africa since 1994, following the country’s first democratic elections after years of struggle against white minority rule.
Malema’s remarks reflect his perspective on the challenges faced by long-standing liberation movements in African politics.
As the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Malema has positioned his party as a vocal opposition force in South African politics.
His commentary on Zimbabwe and the ANC’s future indicates his party’s intention to influence the political landscape both within South Africa and beyond its borders.
