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Former president Jacob Zuma still believes that if properly guided, something positive can come out of EFF leader Julius Malema.
Zuma appeared to speak positively about the firebrand leader during an interview with Africa News 24-7 on Sunday.
Zuma was responding to a question about the people who welcomed him when he joined Twitter when he mentioned Malema, who was one of the first to welcome him to the social media platform.
"I would really like to thank them very much, those who have supported me for a long time at a social level, but also politicians," Zuma told the site's editor Steve Motale.
"There is something interesting with Malema, I don't think we disagreed with Malema politically, we have disagreed with other things. Malema comes from the ANC, he was the leader of the youth league. I interacted with him a great deal.
"He knows what I said to him at one point about his potential, which I still believe, if it is properly guided as it was guided in the ANC, there is something that could come out of Malema, I always said so."
Zuma added that he believes Malema welcoming him to Twitter indicates some of the very positive thinking and understanding of the EFF leader.
In his first tweet, Zuma posted a video of himself where he said that he decided to "move with times" and join various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
"Hello, everyone. I have decided to move with times to join this important area of conversation because I hear that many people are talking about me."
"I felt it is necessary that I should join in and be part of the conversation."
"It's me, the former president, Jacob Zuma," he announces in the 45-second clip.
Zuma's second tweet contains a reference to a bank account number, said to be used to raise funds for his legal fees, which Zuma claims is false.
On Thursday, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled that Zuma would be personally liable for his legal fees.
The former president's handle, @PresJGZuma, is the same for his brand-new Twitter, Instagram and Facebook fan accounts. He also has a personal Facebook account where he has to date added 21 friends.
