Let’s meet in the streets, defiant Malema tells SACP

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan was at the centre of a war of words between the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) today, after the latter announced it would join the court matter between the minister and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

EFF leader Julius Malema called an impromptu press briefing tonight, lashing out at the ANC’s alliance partner after SACP deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila accused the party of being involved in a conspiracy to silence those fighting against state capture, especially Gordhan.

“We are in Pretoria on Tuesday,” said Malema, referring to their planned appearance at the High Court in Pretoria. “They said let’s meet in the streets, so let’s go.

“Solly Mapaila [SACP leader] has got no capacity to organise anything. He is a coward and we will never be shaken by him. We want him with his boss Blade [Nzimande] and Jamnadas [Gordhan].”

More than a dozen non-government organisations have alleged that an orchestrated plot was behind the surge of “conspiracy theories” surrounding Gordhan and the so-called rogue unit at the SA Revenue Service.

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation was joined by several others – including the SACP, Amnesty International, Freedom Under Law and Forensics for Justice – in condemning what they called a “fightback” campaign perpetuated by alleged beneficiaries of state capture, including former president Jacob Zuma.

The ex-president’s testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture earlier this week was wrought with allegations of post democracy government officials who were apartheid spies, amid several allusions to a conspiracy against him.

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