The Zimbabwean government has castigated South African Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema for his recent utterances calling President Robert Mugabe to step down.

Malema also labelled Zanu PF members as cowards who are afraid of telling the president to step down.

In a statement to the state media, the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr Chris Mushohwe, said Zimbabweans view Malema as a loud-mouthed “Gucci”revolutionary who acquired the infamy of deserting and betraying politics of liberation as espoused by the ANC.

“We pity and dismiss him as an ignorant youth, ‘rema’in Shona, one abortively trying to punch above his life long weight. Simply, he is nothing more than a shrunken, talkative joke. And in typical fashion of political charlatans, he seeks to make up for his inner political deficiencies by projecting himself as a trans-border and continental politician who fancies himself big and cute enough to pass comment and judgement on developments elsewhere on the continent,”said Dr Mushohwe.

Dr Mushohwe added:  “What makes Malema’s statements irritatingly despicable is an informing presumption that in spite of his threadbare, prodigal political career, he visualised himself as important enough to comment and pass judgement on the leadership credentials and political career of so iconic a figure as President Mugabe.”

He said Malema’s inspiration lies elsewhere, and no amount of taping from the proud record of Zanu PF and Zimbabweans, or of invoking the name of  Zimbabwean leader and President, will grant him even a patina of respectability, whether at home, on the continent or abroad.

Other Zanu PF members also lashed out at Malema, describing him as a shallow minded politician, who is too young to lecture on Zimbabwe and President Mugabe.

“A drunkard and shallow minded political prostitute like Julius Malema has no authority to lecture on patriotic Zimbabweans to turn against their constitutionally elected president,” the Zanu PF youth leader, Kudzai Chipanga.

Businessman and politician, Jimaya Muduvuri scoffed at Malema’s utterances, saying the wanton attacks clearly highlight the political immaturity of Malema.

“He has also demonstrated to be an accomplished sellout and a rebel, whose hidden agenda towards the African icon is bound to backfire on him,” he said.

Zanu PF legislator for Highfield West, Psychology Maziwisa said Malema is a nonentity in Zimbabwe and African politics whose anti-Mugabe antics are just nonsensical and will come to naughty.

Other observers described Malema’s sudden attack on President Mugabe as coming from a political opportunist and renegade whose premature political utterances should be dismissed with the contempt they deserves. – State Media