Mzansi divided as YouTuber calls Malema a 'puppet'
EFF leader Julius Malema's praise for the late and former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has been criticised by many.
TimesLIVE reported last week that the EFF hosted a memorial service for Mugabe.
Speaking at the service, Malema praised Zimbabwe for obtaining freedom and said the legacy of Mugabe was that of an anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist who refused to bend the knee when faced with harsh consequences.
He said Mugabe's legacy must be celebrated.
“Many want to tell us not to celebrate president Mugabe, that we must speak badly of him, even in his death. There are imperialists and racists today who want their heroes to be our heroes, and their enemies to be our enemies,” Malema said.
Malema was lambasted by many, including broadcaster Piers Morgan who said the fact Mugabe was Malema's hero was very telling.
Mugabe was a vile ruthless dictator who terrorised his own people & ruined Zimbabwe. That’s his legacy.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 6, 2019
The fact he’s your hero says all we need to know about YOU. https://t.co/wrMLzQFqno
Beware the “leader” who praises a dictator & despot.#Malema wants to shove #Mugabe down your throat as some kind of “hero”.
— Sihle Ngobese (@BigDaddyLiberty) September 9, 2019
Shame on you & the #EFF...you don’t care about African lives, no matter how much you claim to or how often you patronizingly call us the “African child”. https://t.co/yf9sBn0OyX
YouTuber Renaldo Gouws took to social media to share a screenshot of Malema at the memorial service, and called him a “puppet”.
Gouws said Malema and the late Mugabe were “puppets”, and added that the only difference was that Malema had a pulse.
“If he had to have the keys to the country you can rest assured that he will make Mugabe's failures look like child's play,” he said.
That awkward moment you see two puppets in one photo but one actually has a pulse. Malema is a "Mugabe with no power". If he had to have the keys to the country you can rest assured that he will make Mugabe's failures look like child's play. pic.twitter.com/go6xmNgWHB
— Renaldo Gouws 🇿🇦 (@RenaldoGouws) September 12, 2019
The post by Gouws divided social media users as some found it offensive while others were in stitches.
Here is a snapshot of somereactions: