‘He wants to be finance minister’: Malema says Reserve Bank governor is protecting Ramaphosa

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) claims South Africa’s state institutions are being used to protect President Cyril Ramaphosa.

It said the Reserve Bank’s (SARB) report on the Phala Phala scandal is evidence of this.

“We reject with contempt, the South African Reserve Bank’s cover up of the Phala Phala crimes and unlawful smuggling and usage of foreign currencies,” the party said on Sunday.

The EFF also said it will be heading to court to get the report reviewed.

“We will take the South African Reserve Bank report on Phala Phala dollars to court for judicial review because there is evidently an attempt to cover up the crimes committed in Phala Phala and state institutions are being abused in protection of the outgoing president of South Africa.”

ALSO READ: ‘Confirmed our suspicions’- EFF may take Reserve Bank to court over Phala Phala decision

EFF leader takes aim at Lesetja Kganyago

EFF leader Julius Malema took aim at Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago, saying he had “created this mess”.

“The Reserve Bank report that was advocated for by Lesetja Kganyago is a fallacy and its intention is to undermine that institution and protect one individual,” said Malema.

“Lesetja destroyed the image of that institution. Lesetja destroyed his legacy, Lesetja destroyed everything he stood for.”

Watch: Malema on Reserve Bank’s report on Phala Phala

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CIC @Julius_S_Malema addressing the EFF Presser on the outcomes of the CCT at Premier Hotel, O.R Tambo, Kempton Park.

-The Reserve Bank report that was advocated for by Lesetja Kganyago is a fallacy and its intention is to undermine that institution and protect… pic.twitter.com/Fjx2CJpSAx

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 27, 2023

He added that Kganyago was protecting Ramaphosa as a means of “career opportunism”.

“He wants to be a finance minister one day. He wants to travel the same path that Tito Mboweni travelled.”

Unemployment and load shedding

The EFF held the press conference at the Premier Hotel O.R. Tambo in Kempton Park to outline its strategy for the 2024 national election. Part of this strategy is to address unemployment, load shedding and corruption in municipalities.

Without detailing its own plan to create jobs, the EFF criticised the ANC’s “claim that jobs are being created in South Africa”.

“The sitting government does not have any believable and practical plan to end the crisis of unemployment and joblessness. Millions of young people are now at the mercy of crime and illicit drugs because of desperation,” it said.

ALSO READ: EFF ‘support will grow’ but is it enough to beat ANC or DA?

It also slammed the government for not stabilising South Africa’s electricity grid. It said the ANC had “normalised electricity blackouts”.

The red berets repeated its argument that the plan to split Eskom into three separate entities – generation, transmission, and distribution – was government giving in to capitalist demands.

“Instead of resolving the electricity crisis, the sitting government is going ahead with the mutilation of Eskom into three different companies with the sole purpose of privatising electricity generation in favour of the greedy domestic and global capitalist interests and demands.”

‘EFF bigger than one man’

Malema also refuted suggestions the EFF is a one-man party. Some critics of the red berets say that the party will struggle to survive when Malema is no longer leading it.

“Look, the Economic Freedom Fighters is going to outlive all of us. It has gained a life of its own even now.

“This organisation is far much bigger than all of us as individuals.

“If there is one thing which we are rest assured and confidently know is that this EFF is going to outlive all of us.”

He also claimed that Ipsos research points to the EFF being more popular than he is.

ALSO READ: EFF must invest in its young fighters if it wants to survive after Malema