POLITICS

DA mustn't allow Zille to become its Zuma - Julius Malema

EFF leader says state capturers really do want to kill the SACP's Solly Mapaila

Malema unleashes wrath at the country’s state of affairs

Johannesburg – At his press briefing on Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema unleashed his wrath on the country’s state of affairs including #GuptaLeaks, allegations of corruption at Transnet, the safety of SACP leader Solly Mapaila and the DA.

On the #GuptaLeaks, Malema said South Africans can rest assured that the emails were authentic and anyone who thought the emails were fake should challenge their authenticity through the court.

He said neither he nor any member of his party would be implicated in the emails.

"Zuma lied to parliament when he said he was not opposed to a commission of inquiry into state capture by the Guptas. According to the binding recommendations by the Public Protector, Zuma was supposed to appoint a commission in 30 days in December 2016. The only reason why this was not done was because Zuma instituted a review application at the High Court which is expected to be heard in October."

Malema said October was too far.

"We have instructed our lawyers this morning to send a letter to Zuma demanding that in the next few days he should withdraw his review application so that South Africa can know the truth without his delay tactics like the Spy Tapes case."

He said the EFF was in possession of the #GuptaLeaks emails and the security department was busy linking each email to the various ministers implicated. Once that was done, the party will compile a dossier which will be submitted to parliament for the impeachment of those ministers, and in particular, Zuma, he said.

He said if parliament failed to act, the party will approach the court.

Corruption charges

Malema said the party had unearthed alleged corruption in Transnet involving the procurement of more than 1000 locomotives to the tune of more than R17 billion.

He said the EFF would be opening a criminal charge against Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba for his role when he was minister of enterprise. The party will also be opening a criminal case against the then Transnet board and were going to go to court to try and interdict the transaction.

He accused Gigaba of facilitating corruption and that he would be writing to the government of Canada, China and the United States of America to make inquiries about the companies involved in the alleged tender.

"We are taking these steps because we have lost confidence in the National Prosecuting Authority and police in South Africa who have been talking and talking but nothing is happening…"

On DA and Zille

On the Democratic Alliance, Malema said the party was "forward".

"They do not take advice. The arrogance of the DA, you will see it and you see it in Helen Zille now. The DA is a big problem, it does not treat partners in the coalition with respect and they think that because they have our support they can ill-treat the UDF."

He said in Nelson Mandela Bay, the EFF could boycott the voting “if they do not change this attitude of white arrogance”.He said the party did not owe the DA anything and it did not care.

"The DA is going to fail the 2019 project of removing the ANC from government, if they carry on like this, disrespecting coalition partners and allowing Helen Zille to become the Zuma of DA."

He said if Zille thought she was being treated unfairly, she should challenge the matter in court.

Malema said he sympathised with DA leader Mmusi Maimane, adding that he was not in control of the DA.

"Those whites there are giving him a tough time, they are undermining him and Helen Zille is prepared to collapse this project because of her ego."

He said Zille was undermining the coalition’s efforts of taking the ANC out of government.

'They want to kill Solly'

Malema concluded his address with concern for the South African Communist Party’s second deputy secretary, Solly Mapaila, whose life has been threatened since speaking up against Zuma and the ANC.

"They want to kill Solly, it is not a joke because Solly is the only one in the whole alliance who is genuinely fighting state capture. Blade Nzimande is pretending, he does not mean anything that comes from his mouth."

He said Mapaila was giving Zuma a "headache".

"Zuma complains about Solly the same way that he used to complain about me … If he cannot expel him, the only other way is to get rid of him, they will make him disappear."

He said he had advised Mpaila’s family that he should go to rallies with bodyguards and then go home.

"Wherever he goes, he must always be in the company of someone… He must not eat any food that is provided by these people, not even in the communist party…"

He said Mapaila should pack lunch.

"We are heading towards the conference in December, things will only be normal after December… We are entering a period of madness so what you do with whoever, be careful," said Malema.

News24