Malema breathes fire after wife is asked to remove fake nail to vote

Julius Malema, leader of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in South Africa, was this week enraged after an official of the Electoral Commission in his country almost forced his wife to remove one of her nails to vote.

Malema was in the company of his wife Mantwa Malema when he arrived to cast his vote at Mponegele Primary School.

He lashed out at an electoral official whom he claimed had a pair of scissors for the sole purpose of removing women’s nails.

Malema termed the incident as patriarchal and bizarre, saying next time they will ask women to remove their weaves for proper identification.

"There was some official who said to my wife that she must take out her nail so that they can put a mark [on her thumb]. And I found that bizarre because where is that written in the rules that women who have long nails can't vote?

"We cannot have such a patriarchal arrangement happening at the voting station. Luckily the electoral officer came and said there is no such a thing, she can vote with her nail.

“But the person who puts a mark on people has a scissorS there and she uses these scissors to take your nails out,” said an angry Malema.

The EFF leader urged electoral officials to know voting rules by heart and avoid being controlled by emotions.

"The next thing they are going to say that women must take out weaves because they want to see if it is them on their IDs.

“Such nonsensical things, it starts small like that and before you know it, it is something like that is institutionalised. It must be challenged even now," Malema said. 

He, however, reserved praise for electoral body saying the process was quicker and well-organised.