Julius Malema speaks at a media briefing in Braamfontein, 10 April 2019. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema clapped back at Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom after calling the EFF leader and his deputy Floyd Shivambu “thugs” and “bullies”.
Hanekom commented on a Fin24 report saying former finance minister Trevor Manuel was taking legal action against the EFF over claims it made ahead of the appointment of new Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter.
“Go for it, Trevor. It’s just a matter of time and the Malema and Floyd stories will also come out. It’s time for South Africans to stand up against thugs and bullies,” said Hanekom.
Malema was not pleased with Hanekom, and he took to social media to also voice his opinion.
“Bully ke papago [your father is the bully],” responded the EFF leader, whose clap back left his followers in stitches.
The word “bully” has been thrown around a lot lately in the wake of Kieswetter’s appointment, a move that has been highly criticised by the EFF.
The EFF slammed the process that led to the appointment of Kieswetter as “patently nepotistic” and “corrupt”.
The party had previously objected to the “secret” nature of the appointment process, questioning this in a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa and in questions directed at him and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in parliament.
The EFF’s objections followed Mboweni’s appointment of a panel chaired by Manuel, tasked with recommending a new Sars commissioner following Ramaphosa’s sacking of Tom Moyane, who the EFF’s chairperson Advocate Dali Mpofu worked to defend.
READ MORE: Sars ‘rogue unit’ did important work, says ex-employee
The party branded Kieswetter a “dodgy character” whom they alleged was related to Manuel and was a “close business associate and companion” of his.
It went on to attempt to link Kieswetter to widely discredited allegations concerning an “illegal intelligence unit” established at Sars, the so-called rogue unit.
The party would be exploring legal options in a bid to “invalidate” Kieswetter’s appointment, they said. They want the appointment process “reopened” and subjected to “public scrutiny”.
It also warned Ramaphosa and Mboweni not to get “arrogant” and ignore the EFF’s “logical demands”, or engage in “activities that led to the downfall of [former president] Jacob Zuma”.
In response, Manuel called the EFF “schoolyard bullies” and threatened legal action against the party.
Manuel said in a statement that “the EFF yesterday, in the name of [party spokesperson] Mbuyseni Ndlozi, issued a statement that is as false as it is racist and libellous, against the appointment by President [Cyril] Ramaphosa of Mr Edward Kieswetter, the incoming commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
He claimed Manuel was a “well-known bully” who’d once allegedly assaulted journalists with an umbrella.
“We dare him to go to court,” and again demanded to know why the job interviews for the top job at Sars had not been held in public.
We are not scared of Manuel who is a well known bully that assaulted journalists with an umbrella at an ANC Conference in 2007 & never apologized!
We dare him to go to court. On his way there he must tell the country: why did they hold interviews for SARS commissioner in secret?
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