EFF: Mboweni appointing Ranjeni Munusamy is ‘dangerous’ and ‘irrational’
The EFF says it gives the finance minister seven days to 'discontinue' the former journalist's employment or it will approach the relevant authorities to do it on his behalf.
Ranjeni Munusamy. Picture: Twitter.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have called the appointment of former journalist Ranjeni Munusamy “as political secretary of the minister of finance”, Tito Mboweni, as “irresponsible”, “reckless”, “dangerous” and “irrational”.
The red berets rejected “with contempt” Munusamy’s appointment, labelling the former journalist as an “ex-employee of the Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust“.
The EFF also took issue with allegations that Munusamy was “the recipient of inexplicable money from the intelligence slush funds”.
The allegation surfaced through witness testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Munusamy was implicated by ex-crime intelligence member Colonel Dhanajaya Naidoo and Colonel Kobus Roelofse in testimony before Zondo. During testimony at the commission, Naidoo had alleged that R40,000 was paid from a secret state security slush fund to service Munusamy’s car.
Roelofse alleged that Munusamy received R143,621.70 from a secret slush fund allegedly used by state security crime intelligence officers.
After being granted leave to appeal the two witnesses, Munusamy, however, abandoned that right but told Zondo through her legal representative that she was still willing to testify at the commission.
READ MORE: Ranjeni Munusamy abandons right to cross-examine witnesses at Zondo commission
The EFF said since the allegations levelled against Munusamy have “not been disputed”, this confirms that she “has indeed received unexplained, unaccounted for and unlawful money from the intelligence slush funds”.
Abandoning her right to cross-examine Naidoo and Roelofse, Munusamy’s legal representative told Zondo in July that an exchange of affidavits between the parties led her to determine that neither Naidoo nor Roelofse have direct evidence that implicates her.
The red berets said the appointment of a “discredited and compromised” Munusamy “to such a serious responsibility is not only irresponsible but it is also reckless, dangerous and outrightly irrational”.
“It is outrightly irrational because a political secretary of the minister of finance has a very influential voice in the country’s fiscal and economic policies and further has an influence on the guidance of the entities under national treasury,” the EFF said.
The red berets demanded Mboweni to “immediately discontinue any contractual and employment relationship” with Munusamy until the allegations levelled against her are “cleared beyond any reasonable doubt”.
The EFF gave Mboweni seven days to “discontinue” Munusamy’s employment “or we will approach the relevant authorities and institutions to do it on his behalf”.
The party said it “will not stand by and do nothing” when government institutions “are being infiltrated by a cabal of highly compromised individuals”.
“We are fully aware where these appointments are initiated and processed and in the same way we fought and defeated the Gupta criminal syndicate, we will defeat the cabal and rogue unit criminal syndicate state is capturing strategic sectors of the state.”
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