Instead of retracting its statements about Gupta-owned media‚ the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) added to them.“The EFF has reached a conclusion that The New Age (TNA) and ANN7 do not constitute part of ‘free media’ but instead they are criminal enterprises that are used by Gupta family and (President Jacob) Zuma to engage in money-laundering and racketeering‚” said the party’s secretary-general Godrich Gardee on Sunday.This came after the EFF chose to ignore a noon deadline the same day to meet demands by ANN7 and The New Age editor-in-chief Moegsien Williams to withdraw threats made last week.EFF leader Julius Malema warned that journalists under Williams were not welcome at the party's events.This still stands‚ said Gardee on Sunday.“We reiterate that TNA and ANN7 are banned from all EFF events‚ not as journalists‚ but whoever comes in the name of these publications and broadcasters.“Our view is that these are communication entities of the Gupta family that seek to normalise the corrupt activities of the Gupta family and Zuma‚” he added.“The TNA is involved in state corruption and this is reflected in the unreasonable and unexplained expenditure of government’s advertisement since its conception.”He listed reports as saying:South African Airways spent R2.4 million with the paper in the 2014/2015 financial year.Eskom was reported to have signed off a R43-million contract to sponsor The New Age Breakfast over three years;The Department of Trade and Industry spent R2-million worth of advertising with TNA in a space of three years‚ Justice and Correctional Services R1.5-million and the Department of Higher Education R20million in the same period; andIn 2011‚ there were further reports that at least R27-million was spent by government on advertising in over two years‚ whilst R37-million was spent by government departments and state owned entities.He said this spending was similar to the Citizen‚ which “enjoyed the same unfair support from the government as an English paper that sought to normalise apartheid”.“The infamous ‘Infogate’ in the late 1970s involved covert channelling of state funds to subsidise the Citizen for the purposes of propaganda.”He explained that the decision “to ban TNA‚ however‚ is not because of any negative story or publication against the EFF”.“It is because it is part of state corruption activities because unlike with the Citizen paper‚ the purpose here is to loot state resources‚ not just be its propaganda house.“As relates to what you call threats of violence‚ it is important not to selectively quote the address of the CIC Julius Malema at the press conference. The context is significant because if taken into consideration‚ there is no threat of violence.“The point is‚ we love the journalists who work for TNA and some are even EFF members. We are conscious that the choice to take on a fight with TNA and ANN7 means they will be in the crossfire. Such a crossfire includes being excluded from EFF events merely by reporting on behalf of TNA and ANN7.”..