Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema speaks at a press conference, 16 May 2019, in Braamfontein. Picture: Michel Bega
Politics of the bizarre swirled yesterday following the release of a report on how the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had apparently benefited from the looting of the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
The report was compiled by Scorpio investigative journalist Pauli van Wyk. The bizarre comes from EFF leader Julius Malema’s death threat towards Van Wyk and the party’s deflection from claims of corruption to a spirited defence of the public protector.
When the story – titled “Cruising nicely on VBS: EFF’s Parties, Lies and Looted Money” – was released on Monday night, Malema’s response on Twitter was: “We are still cruising nicely, bana ba baloi [children of witches] are not happy. Go for kill fighters, hit hard… [sic]”.
Van Wyk noted: “Money robbed from VBS Mutual Bank funded the EFF’s fourth birthday bash, held at a popular party venue in Umlazi, Durban, in July 2017. This forms part of a chunk of the illegal R16.1 million Brian Shivambu’s company Sgameka Projects received from VBS that was ultimately channelled to the EFF. So far, Scorpio has isolated about R4.13 million in VBS loot paid towards the EFF – SA’s second-biggest opposition party.”
The article is currently on the Daily Maverick with apparent copies of bank statements which, on the face of it, explain the flow of cash in “a scheme designed to mask the origin and ultimate beneficiaries of the funds. VBS money flowed through companies over which Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu have ultimate control.”
This was Malema’s response to Van Wyk when she asked him about the EFF leadership and treasurer-general Leigh-Ann Mathys: “I won’t be answering any questions from this moloi [witch]; she can write anything she wants to write. I’ve responded to all her questions before and won’t be doing it going forward. She extraordinarily personal [sic] and I’m not answerable to white madam. She can go to the nearest hell.”
In an apparent attempt at deflecting from the VBS Bank matter, EFF deputy president Shivambu compared Van Wyk to a lizard and Pravin Gordhan to a crocodile.
“We really have no time fighting lizards when the crocodiles are the real enemy forces.”
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