Malema slams city managers who attend fundraising events of political parties

EFF leader Julius Malema has tongues wagging on social media after he took aim at city managers attending fundraising events of political parties. 

According to Malema, city managers should not be attending fundraising events of political parties because they have to be seen to be impartial. 

“I don't think it’s correct for city managers to attend fundraising events of political parties. They are officials and have to be seen to be impartial,” said Malema. 

The EFF leader has been vocal about a number of things during the party's election campaign so far. 

During a voter-registration drive in Alexandra, Malema denied suggestions that his party was not being transparent regarding its donors when it was not listed among the parties who had declared donations of more than R100,000 between April 1 and June 30.

Malema said the EFF had no donations to declare because it was surviving through funds received from parliament, the IEC and party levies.

“There is nothing to declare, they’re called donations. The EFF survived through the money of parliament, the IEC money and party levies.

“Party levies are what our public representatives contribute every month and that’s what makes the EFF survive. There’s nothing that came into the EFF coffers that is more than R100,000,” he said. 

According to the IEC's  report for the first quarter, the EFF were among hundreds of political parties that did not disclose any donations, while the ANC, DA and ActionSA declared donations totalling more than R30m. 

The Political Party Funding Act, which was signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in April, states that parties must disclose all donations received above R100,000, whether in cash, transport or catering, to the IEC each quarter.

Parties may not accept donations above R15m per year from a single donor, foreign governments and agencies, any government department or state-owned entity.

Taking to social media, many weighed in on Malema's sentiments over city managers attending fundraising events. Here is a snapshot of what some had to say: