Johannesburg - EFF leader Julius Malema and former EFF chairperson advocate Dali Mpofu have been criticised on social media after posing in pictures with members of the Mandela family while not adhering to social distancing and not wearing a mask.
Malema and Mpofu had attended the funeral of Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane, the daughter of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who died earlier this week at a Johannesburg hospital.
She was buried on Friday at the Fourways Memorial Park, alongside her mother, who died two years ago. Zindzi, who was South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark, contracted Covid-19 and died on the same day she learnt of her results, her son recently revealed.
Her cause of death remains unclear. With over 320 000 confirmed cases, South Africa has the sixth-most Covid-19 cases in the world. The government has been on a campaign to urge people to keep a physical distance of at least 1.5 metres and to wear masks.
Gatherings after funerals have also been discouraged by government leaders. Malema has been highly vocal, calling for stringent lockdown measures to combat the spread of the virus. The EFF recently criticised the government for allowing taxis to fill up to 100% capacity.
EFF spokesperson Vuyani Pambo was contacted for comment on this story, but his phone went onto voicemail. This is how social media reacted.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/RonaldLamola?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonaldLamolaand Bheki Cele stop abusing poor people since you don't follow the same guidelines..
— Guru The Terminator🗨 (@Mphoza94834444)
Juju looking SMART in that suit. All 5 practicing social distancing as a unit. ✊🏽
— Richardt Tait (@rtait1) July 17, 2020
Dear EFF supporters. There you have it, one law for citizens and another law for the ruling elite.
— Carpe Diem (@SimonTemplar008) July 17, 2020
Marxism, socialism & communism neatly demonstrated in a modern photograph. Maybe your leaders will do a lecture on this class system for you quite soon.
The issue of funerals spreading the virus was highlighted multiple times by our leaders,but if leaders of society do not wear masks and practice social distancing,it becomes a problem for the greater society they lead to follow what they say, as they often refer to what they see
It is extremely irresponsible for leaders with respectable following to defiantly project such reprehensible behaviour. Im deeply saddened. Covid-19 is spreading at an overwhelming speed. We need national co-operation to defeat it.
— Thabang Motsohi (@MotsohiThabang) July 17, 2020
IOL