Drunk ANC spokesperson, arrested by GhostSquad, defends Julius ‘Shoot the boere, they are Rapists’

'Strange time' for Mthembu to be drunk

Fienie Grobler, Mail & Guardian
Mar 11 2010 13:56

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu was arrested for drunken driving in Cape Town on Thursday morning -- but this did not stop him from doing his job.

Mthembu, in a 21-minute telephonic interview with the South African Press Association -- apparently while in police custody -- passionately defended ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema before bursting into song.

"Don't blame Julius. In fact, on this one, I will defend him," said Mthembu.


"You must blame the ANC, don't blame Julius'

Malema is facing a criminal charge and a complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for reportedly singing at the University of Johannesburg, "Dubula amabhunu baya raypha" (Zulu for, 'Shoot the boers, they are rapists) with a group of students.

"You must blame the ANC, don't blame Julius. But when you blame the ANC, then contextualise it," said Mthembu, before he started singing the song to a Sapa reporter over the phone.

Mthembu was arrested on the N2 near the Pinelands off-ramp at about 8am and was only set to be released from the Mowbray police station later on Thursday.

Sapa phoned him at 9.22am for comment on the Malema story and the 21-minute interview followed.

When called back at 11.23am to ask if he had been arrested for drunken driving, Mthembu again answered his phone, but this time the call lasted only 40 seconds. He replied: "I can't comment".

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