Malema says he can have a pool and still be a revolutionary

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has defended his perceived extravagant lifestyle despite being a politician who claims to be fighting for the poor.

Malema addressed the criticism against him over wearing luxurious clothing and owning houses during an engagement with the media on Friday.

“Moeletsi Mbeki speaking about the leadership of the EFF liking nice things and that’s why we want houses with swimming pools.

“Didn’t Fidel Castro have a swimming pool? Didn’t Fidel Castro have a Rolex watch? The former president of Venezuela Hugo Chávez was a good dresser of note, a man of style.

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“But if you compare Chavez with Malema, to Malema’s haters, Chavez is a revolutionary. There’s nothing that I’m doing different from Chavez. Who said Chavez didn’t have a pool,” he told reporters.

In 2020, Malema made headlines for wearing a R21 000 jacket from Italian brand, Moncler, sparking a socialism debate on social media.

More recently, he shared photos and a video about his eldest son’s lavish matric dance.

The EFF leader declared his financial interests to Parliament from his farming business, the membership of three family trusts as well as some gifts last October.

Watch Malema’s engagement with the media below:

VBS scandal

Malema further spoke on the VBS Mutal Bank allegations, saying there was no case number registered against him unlike with President Cyril Ramaphosa about the Phala Phala scandal, where $580 000 was stolen at his farm in Limpopo.

The EFF leader suggested the possibility of privately prosecuting Ramaphosa if the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) opted not to pursue the case.

“There was a case opened by the former [director-general] of intelligence [Arthur] Fraser. [The NPA] now have to go and say we decline to prosecute [Ramaphosa] so that we can prosecute him privately. There’s a case number and all kinds of evidence [that] was presented by Fraser,” he said.

READ MORE: Shivambu’s VBS Bank penalty ‘unlikely to dent EFF’s public standing’ ahead of elections

Malema asserted that neither a bogus Hawks officer nor anyone else had approached him or EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu regarding VBS.

“Even in the absence of a case number, because of political hatred and political agenda; we must still go after them. [They say] Shivambu must account for VBS.

“Not a single law enforcement officer has never even sent an SMS to ask us about VBS – including those fraud Hawks officers who say ‘I’m so and so from the Hawks, there is a case but we can close it if you send this much money’. Not even a fake call,” Malema remarked.

Meanwhile, Malema also criticised the media for its “inconsistencies” and calling him as well as the EFF “flip-floppers”.

Parliament closes Malema’s VBS Bank file

Last year, Parliament’s joint committee on ethics and members’ interests did not make any findings against Malema on the allegations of a breach of the ethics code.

This is after a complaint was laid by Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen in 2019 about Malema allegedly benefitting from VBS funds based on reports by Daily Maverick.

The allegations included that Malema used the life savings of vulnerable VBS depositors and municipalities to fund his lifestyle, business interests and political aspirations.

READ MORE: Shivambu heads to court over ‘undisclosed R180k VBS payment’

But the committee resolved that it was “unable to make a finding” because of insufficient information so the matter was closed.

Shivambu, however, was found guilty for failing to disclose three payments, totaling R180 000 from VBS.

The EFF deputy president has since taken the matter to court.