In his response to the Opening of Parliament Address debate, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday shut down allegations made by EFF leader Julius Malema. He said Malema lacked respect when engaging in debates and offered to school him about apartheid-era politics.

President Cyril Ramaphosa strongly reprimanded EFF leader Julius Malema for his utterances during the Opening of Parliament Address debate on Friday, 19 July 2024, following the President's speech the day before.

Ramaphosa was speaking during his response to the debate during a joint sitting of Parliament in Cape Town on Monday.

Ramaphosa said Malema had launched a personal attack on him instead of focusing on the work which the government had to carry out in next five years.

Ramaphosa accused Malema of playing the person instead of the ball and highlighted that the leader of the red berets had gone as far as insulting his father during a previous debate.

He then requested a meeting with Malema to discuss apartheid-era politics, which Ramaphosa believed "confuses" Malema.

"You seem to be in the dark. I will be doing this so whenever you stand up and address us, it will be about something that gives us direction."

The President then hit back at Malema for questioning his struggle credentials as well his history with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

Ramaphosa mentioned the likes of Gwede Mantashe and Mondli Gungubele as people who could vouch for his work in the trade...