ANCYL to give Malema trust report briefing

The ANC Youth League will respond to reports that its president Julius Malema has a trust fund to sponsor his "lavish lifestyle" at a media conference on Monday.

On Sunday the City Press reported that the Ratanang Family Trust, named after his five-year-old son, was registered five weeks after he was elected league president in 2008.

City Press also reported that the trust owned a 3.5 hectare smallholding outside Polokwane, bought for R900,000 in cash in June last year.

No bond was registered on the smallholding, which is part of the farm Palmietfontein.

The paper reported that two independent, well-placed sources with knowledge of Malema's financial dealings told it the trust was a vehicle used by Malema and his benefactors to fund his lifestyle and that thousands were deposited regularly.

The Freedom Front Plus opened a complaint of corruption at the Brooklyn police station on Sunday against Malema in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004.

This was on the grounds of its belief that his lifestyle was disproportionate to his income and that the police should investigate this.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions in turn asked the ANC to conduct its own probe.

"We call for an investigation by the ANC's committee on ethics and members' interests, the SA Revenue Service (SARS) and the special investigations unit into the allegations," spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement.

The ANC said that as Malema was neither a member of Parliament, nor a government official it was not unethical for him to be involved in business and that his "private life remains private".

Last week Malema responded to reports that he was having a R16 million house built in Sandton by saying his financial affairs were private.

He also said it was difficult living among capitalists while fighting capitalism at the same time.

The league's web page account did not seem to be as private as Malema's financial affairs after it appeared that a hacker posted a speech bubble next to a picture of Malema saying: "HA HA HA I have a 16 Million Rand house And all of you don't!!!!".

The briefing will be held at noon and Shivambu said: "The press conference will like all press conferences of the ANC Youth League, respond to all sound questions and queries from member of the media."