'Hypocrite' or 'securing the bag'?: Malema under fire after EFF received R2m from Motsepe's companies

EFF leader Julius Malema has been called a “hypocrite” and a “flip-flopper”, after revelations that his party received more than R2.1m in donations from billionaire Patrice Motsepe’s companies.

This week, an Electoral Commission (IEC) report showed that Motsepe was the most generous donor to SA’s political parties in the past quarter. Through his companies African Rainbow Minerals and Harmony Gold, Motsepe donated about R13.5m to the big five political parties . 

The EFF declared a total of R3.1m. It received payments of R1.1m from both Motsepe’s companies.

The new Political Party Funding Act requires parties to declare all donations of more than R100,000 to the IEC.

The declaration comes after Malema’s recent comments regarding Motsepe and his billionaire status. 

During his cross-examination at the equality court last week, Malema suggested that Motsepe was pretending to be a billionaire.

He was testifying at the court after lobby group AfriForum brought a civil case against him, his party and EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi for allegedly singing at various times the anti-apartheid song Dubul’ ibhunu”.

“I am not sure Patrice Motsepe is a billionaire, shame. I am not sure ... sometimes I have [a] suspicion that [he is] an imposter. I am not sure. I don’t agree,” said Malema.

“Majority of black billionaires are imposters, they are posturing. They do not own and control the claims that they are owning.”

According to Forbes, Motsepe’s net worth is now about $3.2bn (about R49bn). 

TimesLIVE conducted a poll asking readers if they were surprised by funders of political parties. 

Almost half, or 47% of the voters, said they were not and all political parties have funders.

Thirty-one percent said they were surprised that Motsepe’s companies donated to several big parties.

Twelve percent said they were not interested in how political parties make their money and 11% said they have not seen the report.

Taking to social media, many users said they were not surprised by Malema’s “hypocrisy”, saying he is a “known flip-flopper”. 

Here is a snapshot of some of the reactions to the EFF’s declaration.