EFF leader Julius Malema has apologised to President Cyril
Ramaphosa for claiming in parliament that he had abused his late wife.
In a statement released on Thursday evening Malema said he
had wanted to offer the apology in parliament but he was "drowned
out" and had his mic switched off before he could relay the message to
Ramaphosa.
This comes after Ramaphosa earlier in parliament on
Thursday, when he was responding to a two-day debate of his State of the Nation
Address, offered Malema and his wife Mantoa an apology over abuse allegations
which were leveled against him by his friend-turned-foe ANC MP Boy Mamabolo.
“Today, following President Ramaphosa’s apology to my wife
and family, I stood in parliament to return the same hand to him, his departed
wife, Nomazizi and his entire family. I was, however, drowned down by ruling
party benches without any protection from presiding officers,” Malema said.
“After a long discussion with my wife about the president’s
apology, I have decided to pen down the apology that I should have communicated
on the platform of the Joint Sitting of parliament where it belonged.”
Malema said he had already called Ramaphosa to offer his
apology.
He said that he was provoked by Mamabolo’s repeated
accusations but admitted that it was wrong for him to respond by also levelling
further accusations which were directed to Ramaphosa.
Malema said he had never laid a hand to his wife and that
if anyone could present a shred of evidence to the contrary, he would
immediately resign from parliament.
“If there should be evidence produced to dispute my claim,
even as minute as a molecule, I will be prepared to resign as an MP and
President of the EFF. This I will do before the matter can serve in a competent
court of law,” Malema said.
He said that the use of a serious issue such as
gender-based violence, which the country is grappling with countless women
being killed by men on a daily basis, was wrong and that he should should have
known better to not use it as a political tool.
“It was therefore in a desperate act of personal defense
which I now regret because of how critical the matter of gender-based violence
is for all of us as a country.
“I hope the president can accept my apology, together with
his family, which I offer sincerely,” Malema said.
He also apologised to all South Africans who were offended
by the engagement between him and Mamabolo.
“I also hope that such a degeneration never occurs again
where ANC MPs use personal matters, masquerading in false and malicious
accusations to score political points.” Sowetan
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