Honouring icons or scoring political points?
In recent times, funerals of South Africa’s freedom fighters have become the site of political battles, and Saturday was no different.
Largely characterised by two powerful speeches – one by her daughter Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, and the other by Julius Malema – Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral was a spectacle in its own right.
Malema’s speech, fiery and emotional, stood out as he got very personal, with the EFF leader calling out some of the people who, in attendance, had attacked her during her lifetime, reports Times LIVE:
“Mama those who sold you out to the regime are here. They are crying the loudest more than all of us who cared for you‚” he said.
….“We see you betrayers, we see you sellouts,” Malema said on Saturday.
“All those who resigned from the NEC of the [ANC] Women’s League because they said they can’t be led by a criminal, they are here playing all important roles at your funeral. Can we trust them or should we treat them with suspicion, Comrade Winnie?”
He ended his tribute by calling for Cape Town International Airport to be named after Madikizela-Mandela. Imagine that.
But get this: it has since been discovered that there have been informal discussions between senior leaders of the ANC and EFF after Madikizela-Mandela expressed her wish to them that Malema either lead a comeback to the governing party, or that they co-operate in the national interest.
Interesting, ne? Watch Malema’s full speech below:
In case you’re feeling a little lost about the whole Winnie situation, below you can watch the full, award-winning Winnie documentary, aired on television publicly for the first time after Madikizela-Mandela’s death.
Bringing a fresh perspective on Madikizela-Mandela’s life, and dispelling some controversial notions about her, it shows, among other things, how “a propaganda plan was allegedly hatched, allegedly by some in her beloved ANC, apartheid government leaders, and journalists to weaken her politically”, reports IOL.
Another revelation is that the ANC allegedly gave Nelson Mandela an ultimatum to divorce her or lose the presidency. But we kind of knew that.
Exciting stuff, hey? Watch below:
