Kunene Fires Back: Malema’s Conviction Is ‘Payback’ After Years of Insults

The rivalry between Julius Malema and Kenny Kunene has never been quiet, but this time, Kunene’s words hit back with the weight of irony.

Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy leader Kenny Kunene didn’t hold back when asked about the recent criminal conviction of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema. Speaking to journalists during a service delivery programme in Soweto on Wednesday, Kunene called Malema’s guilty verdict “payback” for the years of ridicule he and PA president Gayton McKenzie endured over their past criminal records.

“He’s tasting our past now”

Malema was found guilty by the East London Magistrate’s Court last week for unlawfully discharging a firearm a charge that stems from an EFF rally in Mdantsane back in 2018, where he was captured on video firing gunshots into the air. The footage resurfaced over the years as a symbol of Malema’s defiance, but this time, the law caught up.

For Kunene, who has long been on the receiving end of Malema’s public jabs, the moment carried poetic justice.

“A convicted criminal, Julius Malema, has faced the wrath of God and our ancestors because he’s been calling us names for so long,” Kunene said. “Now he’s tasting our past. He’s an incoming lepantiti and we are former mapantiti. He is a convicted criminal.”

In township slang, lepantiti refers to a convict, a word Malema himself once used mockingly to describe Kunene and McKenzie.

When insults come full circle

Malema has often criticized the Patriotic Alliance’s leadership, saying that their past convictions question their ability to govern with integrity. During previous rallies, he mocked the PA for fielding “criminals” in public office, famously remarking, “Our people even elected mapantiti to council.”

That statement, which many PA supporters still remember, resurfaced quickly on social media after Malema’s conviction. Memes comparing Malema’s fiery speeches to his court case spread fast across X (formerly Twitter), with some users calling it “political karma.”

“Malema called them criminals now he’s the one with a conviction. Life is poetic,” wrote one Johannesburg-based user. Another joked, “Welcome to the mapantiti club.”

Beyond the politics: a rivalry of reputation

The public feud between Malema and the PA isn’t just about words, it’s about image, credibility, and redemption. Both men built their political careers on strong personalities and grassroots appeal. But while Malema built the EFF’s brand on radicalism and accountability, Kunene and McKenzie have worked to transform their once-taboo pasts into a message of rehabilitation and second chances.

For Kunene, Malema’s conviction doesn’t just balance the scales, it highlights what he sees as hypocrisy in how South Africans view political morality.

“He insulted us for our past, but look at him now,” Kunene said. “We did our time, we changed, and we’re serving our people. Now the same man who called us names must face his own judgment.”

What’s next for Malema

Julius Malema is set to return to the East London Magistrate’s Court in January 2026 for pre-sentencing procedures. While the offense isn’t likely to lead to significant jail time, it adds another chapter to Malema’s long history of legal battles, from hate speech cases to corruption allegations.

Still, his supporters remain steadfast. The EFF has dismissed the verdict as politically motivated, describing it as an attempt to silence one of the country’s most outspoken opposition figures.

But for Kunene and the PA, this moment marks a symbolic turning point, one that flips a decade-old insult on its head.

As one Soweto resident put it outside the event where Kunene spoke:

“Politics in South Africa always comes full circle. Today’s saint can be tomorrow’s sinner and vice versa.”

{Source: EWN}

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