Malema Talks at Oxford about Dogs, Van Riebeeck and the UK Weather

Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Front, addressed the Oxford Union at Oxford University on Wednesday during a trip to the United Kingdom, including in his speech everything from expats to Nelson Mandela. Here are some of his quotes to the “most famous debating society in the world” pulled from the news media.

On rich South African’s treatment of the poor

“We have got a situation where the rich love animals [more] than the people.

“The dogs of rich people in South Africa have got medical aid but their domestic workers, and the university workers, and the farm workers, the petrol attendants, the security guards, do not have medical aid. Neither do they have rights as workers.”

On President Jacob Zuma

“If a president does not like red berets, a law is passed that all red berets are banned in this country… If the president in South Africa does not like a corruption fighting institution called the Scorpions, they go and close down the scorpion so that he can go and steal R250 million – I don’t know what is that in pounds.”

“Because he does not want to go to prison, every institution that wants to take him to prison, he closes down that institution.”

On Nelson Mandela

“When Mandela returned from prison he got separated with Winnie Mandela and went to stay in a house of the rich white men… He was looked after by the Oppenheimers.

“Nelson Mandela used to attend the club meetings of those white men who owned the South African economy at the time.

“That’s when he turned against himself.”

To expats

“Come back and help build a better country. We need your experience and expertise…come and share it with us without arrogance.”

On corruption in South Africa

“Anyone fighting corruption in SA is the enemy of the president.”

“You get a senior position on the basis [of] to what extent you are corrupt. If you are anti-corruption, you will never get a promotion.”

On Zuma’s quote that the ANC came first, South Africa second

“The ANC was formed in 1912. South Africa existed way before 1912. South Africa existed even before the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652. Not even Van Riebeeck can tell me the arrival of settlers made South Africa what it is. It was there with its beautiful oceans and weather, unlike the weather here.”

On the ANC

“The ANC thinks that it is South Africa, and not the other way around. They think that what happens in South Africa must happen through them (alone) or nothing must happen.”

On Mugabe

“We are not going to do what the Zimbabweans have done; of drawing the blood of innocent people. There’s nothing wrong with Mugabe’s policy on land, but there’s everything wrong with the method used to obtain the land. We cannot have people killed, injured because you want your land back.”