Malema claims Lesufi and Ramaphosa are targeting EFF’s friends in business

EFF leader Julius Malema has alleged that Gauteng premier and ANC provincial chairperson Panyaza Lesufi and president Cyril Ramaphosa are waging war against the red berets' friends in business.

Following the party’s 10th birthday celebrations, which included a gala dinner where tables were sold for fundraising, Malema revealed a leaked SMS allegedly sent by Lesufi to his comrades.

“Good evening, leadership. I was going through the guest list of business that contributed to the 10th EFF birthday, and I am shocked that we are taking things lightly. Notwithstanding the right of individuals and businesses to association — to have this formation getting opportunities from our institutions donating handsomely to other parties, without recognising the party that gave them an opportunity can’t be described as freedom of choice, but we are being treated as fools.

“This must stop. We have to take ourselves seriously from now on. This is a battle and the battle lines are now drawn,” said the SMS allegedly sent by Lesufi.

Malema accuses Lesufi of targeting individuals who donated at the gala dinner by buying tables.

In addition, the red berets' leader accused Ramaphosa of having secretly met the Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter and gave an instruction to hunt down the party’s donors.

According to Malema, a reliable source told him that an instruction was given to conduct an investigation into all the guests that attended the EFF's gala dinner due to extravagance and flamboyance displayed.

The alleged investigation by Sars, apparently must determine the nature of the business interests of the guests and whether their tax affairs are up to date. Malema alleged that Kieswetter has appointed Gerhard Pretorius to carry out this project, which he wanted concluded before December, to act against whoever sponsored or funded the dinner and celebrations.

Malema criticised the pair for wanting to use the state to fight political battles and settle political scores.

“When we raise some of these issues, you think we are hallucinating. The state is going to punish people for having made a political choice and Panyaza [Lesufi] is part of the people who are saying, everybody who attended the dinner and gets a tender from the state must no longer get tenders because they take them for fools.”

The EFF leader questioned the principle that only those who donate to the ruling party must be recipients of tenders. “This is a matter we should be reported to the public protector but we won’t do it because she is compromised and is an ANC mascot,” he said.

Malema said he would continue to expose the “shenanigans” because they could not allow the state to be used as a tool of the ANC.

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