Five things you need to know from Julius Malema's explosive pre-Sona presser

EFF leader Julius Malema insists his party will disrupt President Cyril Ramaphosa's state of the nation address (Sona) on Thursday if public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan remains in cabinet.

He also said the party will intensify its fight for the fair treatment of black people.

Here are five takeouts from a media briefing Malema held on Sunday.

Fair treatment of black people

SA’s richest businessman, Johann Rupert, forms part of the red beret’s 2020 agenda. The party says it will occupy his properties and farms to seize his land without compensation.

A fuming Malema made it clear that financial institutions and medical aid companies will also feel the wrath of the EFF as the party demands the fair treatment of black people.

“We shall stage occupations in financial institutions that profile black people for their marginalisation, all insurance and medical aid companies, as well as banks, shall get unannounced occupations to demand equal treatment of black people. We shall also march to the properties of Johann Rupert, particularly his farms in Mpumalanga and Western Cape.”

Reduce Sona to chaos

Ramaphosa has less than three days to fire public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan for misleading the nation about load-shedding or the EFF will reduce his state of the nation address (Sona) into complete chaos.

In January, Malema made a similar threat. National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) chairperson Amos Masondo responded by saying his utterance was irresponsible and showed Malema’s lack of understanding of his duty as a public servant.

“When Cyril starts, we start. That’s how it’s going to roll. When he starts speaking, we are speaking about Pravin going. We are not going to be ruled here by Pravin, it must come to an end,” Malema said on Sunday.

ATM's no confidence motion

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) is of the view that President Ramaphosa has, on numerous occasions, failed to listen to and implement ideas contributed by other parties for the betterment of the poor.

During the party’s press conference last week, ATM leader Vuyo Zungula said South Africans have realised that the country, under Ramaphosa, “has been on a slippery slope”.

Malema said the EFF “will not support ATM’s motion of no confidence” as “they didn’t even speak to us” about it.

EFF is eyeing Tshwane

The EFF has not given up hope of governing one of Gauteng’s metros.

In 2019, Malema said made no secret about his party having its sights set on Johannesburg after Herman Mashaba’s resignation. However, the ANC reclaimed the city.

“In Tshwane, we want the mayorship. If you are not voting with us then we are not voting with you. We said this about Johannesburg and it is exactly what we will do in Tshwane.”

Skewed accountability

Malema believes the resignation of former Eskom CEO Jabu Mabuza and not Gordhan is rooted in racial inequality.

Mabuza left his position as a member of the Eskom board in January, due to the power utility's inability to meet the commitment it made to Ramaphosa. The president had been told there would be no load-shedding until January 13 2020, but this did not happen, as Eskom was forced to implement power cuts before then.

“Minorities are not held accountable. The country had agreed that it was Pravin and Mabuza that misled the country [about load-shedding] and yet it is the black man who is gone and Pravin remains. Cyril has handed back the power to white people.”