Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, on Wednesday praised the family of Ahmed Kathrada for barring President Jacob Zuma from speaking at the funeral of the anti-apartheid hero.

“[Zuma] had to respect the family wishes. The family made it very clear that Uncle Kathy had wished that he should not be here. We are happy that the family did not undermine the wishes of the dead. Uncle Kathy wanted Zuma to step down, that wish must still be realised because in African tradition you do not undermine the wishes of the dead,” Malema said at West Park Cemetery before the funeral.

“So if [Zuma] still cared about struggle veterans, he would not have responded through insults to the letter of Uncle Kathy. He went to KwaZulu-Natal and attacked him and other veterans. Malusi Gigaba and them joined the chorus in attacking the veterans. And today they want to be writing beautiful speeches as if they care and follow the examples of Uncle Kathy.”

The Kathrada family was reported to have asked that Zuma not speak at the funeral though he could attend. Zuma did not attend the funeral but sent his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, on behalf of South African government.

Kathrada, who was affectionately known as “Uncle Kathy”, passed away on Tuesday aged 87 at the Donald Gordon Hospital in Johannesburg after a short period of illness, following brain surgery.

Kathrada wrote a scathing open letter to Zuma in March last year, asking him to step down following the Constitutional Court ruling that Zuma had failed to uphold‚ defend and respect the Constitution as the supreme law regarding the Nkandla matter.

Kathrada would be buried accordance with Muslim religious rites on Wednesday. His coffin arrived at the cemetery at 10am draped in African National Congress (ANC) flag.

Zuma declared a “special official funeral” for Kathrada and instructed that the national flag fly at half-mast at every station in the country until the evening of the official memorial service.

The funeral was attended by struggle veterans including former president Thabo Mbeki, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Presidency Minister Jeff Radebe, Zuma’s former spokesperson Mac Maharaj, former Cabinet minister Ronnie Kasrils, Sophia Williams de Bruyn.

Former president Kgalema Montlanthe was set to deliver the eulogy.