POLL | Do you think Malema will be president one day?

EFF leader Julius Malema has sparked debate with his claim he will be president of SA.

Malema made the statement during his testimony at the equality court in Johannesburg on Thursday. 

Malema, the EFF and MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi were accused by lobby group AfriForum of hate speech and incitement of violence for allegedly singing the anti-apartheid song dubul’ ibhunu.

When it was put to him by AfriForum’s advocate Mark Oppenheimer that the EFF without significant electoral support stood no chance of governing the country, Malema predicted he would one day be president.

“I’m going to be president of this country, whether you like it or not. I will preside over the affairs of this country, including presiding over you.

“I think you must start adjusting to that reality. The sooner you do that, the less chest pains you will have when that reality comes.”

He defended the party’s performance at the polls, saying they are growing.

“You may think 10% is insignificant, but it’s a very huge percentage and we are the only party that is growing in SA among the three [major] parties. We have never declined in any election,” he said.

The EFF received 10.31% of the overall vote in last year’s local government elections, winning 982 seats. This was up from 8.19% and 761 seats in the 2016 local government elections. In 2019, the party received 10.8% of the total vote in the national and provincial elections.

It won no municipalities outright, but said a victory came in reducing the ANC to below 50% in municipalities.

“Politics is difficult. It is no child’s play. We are still very young. I am 40 and Floyd [Shivambu] is 38. We are shaking the ANC properly, shaking well-resourced ministers, deputy ministers, mayors, councillors, all with resources.

“Former presidents Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe, Jacob Zuma and President Cyril Ramaphosa, we are klapping them and put them below 50%,” he said.