Suspended uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus is this Monday’s laughing stock on social media, after having to “surrender” his chair to KwaZulu-Natal African National Congress (ANC) chair Siboniso Duma.
As usual, Niehaus was at former president Jacob Zuma’s side as he took on News24 journalist Karyn Maughan and Advocate Billy Downer in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court sitting in Pietermaritzburg, where he is alleging the advocate leaked his confidential medical records to Maughan.
Like clockwork, the former president briefed his supporters following his court appearance.
While the former president is trending on social media for his speech and the court case, Niehaus is being mocked for “failing to know his place”.
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In a video clip that is circulating on social media, Niehaus can be seen sitting on a chair next to his fellow cadre, as others standing behind them seemingly discuss where the KZN ANC leader should be seated.
Niehaus catches on to the conversation and, as social media users describe it, “surrenders” the chair to the leader despite the age gap and political experience between the two.
“Another ‘step-aside’ victim, we see you Carl Niehaus,” said Twitter user @_Sir_CharlesR, while @MbuMvana wrote: “Someone please invite Carl to this side. How dare they disrespect our MK veteran Soldier like that.”
While social media users see a humiliating incident for Niehaus, the former MK spokesperson only sees a “disciplined” comrade in himself.
“Mxm, what humiliation?” he told a follower who said he must have felt humiliated by the incident.
“You are evidently not a disciplined comrade, and rather childish. Cde. Duma is the ANC Chair of KZN, if I did not stand up and offered him that chair I would not be worthy of my name Mpangazitha,” explained Niehaus.
Watch the video below:
A few days ago, Niehaus was mocking ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, after the latter was booed off stage at the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (Cosatu) 14th national congress.
“The writing is on the wall: ‘Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin’ [Your days are numbered, you have been weighed and found wanting, you will be destroyed]. This is literally what the workers of Cosatu told Gwede Mantashe. They sang: ‘Hamba sellout Gwede,’” tweeted Niehaus following the incident.
“As we say in Afrikaans: ‘Elke hond kry sy dag” (every dog gets his day). In your case you are sommer going to get two, because you are a real mgodoyi…”
It now appears Niehaus was right, every dog gets his day indeed.
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