The expensive designer shoes that EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu wore to parliament for president Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address have sparked a socialism debate on social media with a clear line drawn in the sand.

Twitter user @Nape_MM initially posted the image this past week and priced the shoes at R25,000.

Suit: Free

Shoes: Ferragamo loafers, R25 000.

Hypocrisy: Pricless.

A happy socialist. pic.twitter.com/VRfJaH01Z4 — DON PEPE. (@Nape_MM) February 11, 2019

Former chief executive of Platfields Limited andpoliticall advisor Bongani ‘Bo’ Mbindwane then reposted the image alongside a screenshot of the shoes with a new price attached to them.

He further commented on the price of the shoes in relation to the average MP’s salary and the “politics” of it all.

MPs net pay is R45K, ordinary MP chairing no Committee. Its not a good salary when u consider the lifestyle & two homes management. So besides the politics of it, I thought it was a smart thing to have a uniform but pic.twitter.com/LWWfk5CEcx — Bo Mbindwane (@mbindwane) February 16, 2019

Mbindwane’s comment seems to have caught the attention of avid EFF supporter @Sentletse who indirectly responded to Mbindwane’s comments.

Fighters, if you can afford LV or Ferragamo shoes you buy with your own money, wear them with those overalls if you please. Why must people dictate what shoes you must wear with your work uniform? Who tells nurses and doctors what they must wear with their work uniform? pic.twitter.com/2aqdUxMFEZ — Sentletse (@Sentletse) February 16, 2019

We tweet among idiots who think that socialism means no wealth. Socialism simply means owning the means of production and sharing the wealth of the country. There is nothing about socialism that says individuals must not be wealthy. Stop being stupid. — Sentletse (@Sentletse) February 16, 2019

Shivambu finally weighed in on the conversation this morning and he seemed to indirectly insult Mbindwane.

I now know and understand the saying that rumours and fictitious narratives are created by Fools, spread by Idiots and accepted by imbeciles. That’s not the price of those shoes, & opportunists who can’t fault our politics resort to this foolishness because they are dumb. Simple. https://t.co/1L0bl9aZco — Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) February 17, 2019

Mbindwane was also alerted of Sentletse’s tweets which sparked the debate about what really constitutessocialism.

He doesn’t understand or know what socialism is. It’s astounding & truly not a shock though. — Bo Mbindwane (@mbindwane) February 16, 2019

This is the only accurate description of socialism – no one gets wealthy than another in socialism. EFF lies to young persons in SA. pic.twitter.com/PlrmP996Mk — Bo Mbindwane (@mbindwane) February 16, 2019

@FloydShivambu @Julius_S_Malema educate Bo about pillar number 8 "from each according to his expensive taste, to each according to his greed & VBS loot". He thinks we are in the 1800s "socialism provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed"Sidlukotini???? — Bhele Ngombinja (@UncapturedBlack) February 17, 2019

Despite being tagged in the exchange, EFF leadership is yet to respond.

This is not even the first time Shivambu’s shoes have sparked conversation.

Honourable Shivambu representing the poor & exploited in a hard hat and louis vuitton shoes. pic.twitter.com/NHvZPF8GmI — Kgosi (@Galeshewe_GT) July 27, 2014

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