Malema threatens to ‘go to the streets’ to remove Nene

In a tweet on Sunday morning, EFF leader Julius Malema has threatened to use protests to force the removal of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene.

He said: “It looks like going to the streets to have this guy removed is unavoidable.”

It looks like going to the streets to have this guy removed is unavoidable. 🤔

— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) October 7, 2018

The party has been uncompromising in calling for the finance minister to quit or be fired after his apology on Friday for having met the Gupta family, including at their home.

Nene apologised for his meetings with the Gupta family over the years when he was deputy finance minister and in his first stint as finance minister under then president Jacob Zuma, which he only disclosed this week at the state capture commission of inquiry.

Although Nene continues to deny that he ever did anything for the family or acquiesced to any dodgy demands, he said he deeply regretted “these lapses and beg your forgiveness,” in a statement.

The EFF’s deputy president, Floyd Shivambu, said on Friday they would only accept Nene’s apology if he stepped down as minister of finance “because he is a Liar! Liars can’t politically oversee the country’s finances.”

The EFF also released a statement following a report in the Mail & Guardian questioning the role of the Public Investment Corporaton (PIC), which Nene chaired at the time, in a deal involving his son Siyabonga Nene.

READ MORE: EFF slams Nene’s ‘extremely arrogant’ ‘lies’ at Zondo inquiry

The statement said the Mail & Guardian had exposed “the first” of Nene’s “shenanigans,” going on to say that his actions as finance minister “border on corruption”.

The statement went on to repeat earlier claims made by the EFF about Nene avoiding their correspondence.

Following a week in which the reputation of Nene received a blow after he was caught lying in an eNCA clip about having met the Guptas while serving under Jacob Zuma, a report by amaBhungane and the Mail & Guardian looked into the finance minister’s alleged involvement in a deal involving the minister’s son and an oil refinery in Mozambique.

According to the report, a business partner of Siyabonga Nene’s earned millions from a deal made while Nene was chairperson of the PIC.

Nene’s role in the deal, linked to businessman Momande Rassul Rahim – who was arrested for alleged money laundering, tax evasion and smuggling last year – is now being questioned. More on that report can be read here.

During his testimony before the state capture commission, Nene said on Wednesday that the EFF’s allegations, and those of others on social media against him, were baseless.

Nene said the allegations included that, as deputy minister of finance, Nene had facilitated the Guptas’ access to the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), and that during this period, between 2009 and 2014, he was approached by various individuals and companies seeking assistance in securing financing from the corporation.

“In all instances, these individuals and companies were informed that they should approach the PIC directly,” Nene told the commission.

He explained that during his tenure as deputy minister of finance he had served as the chair of the PIC as he was appointed by Cabinet as a non-executive director and chair of the board of the corporation. His role, however, excluded him from decision making except for specific transactions that would need the board’s approval.

Nene responded in the negative to a question of whether he recalled approving a transaction while chair of the PIC related to the Guptas or any Gupta-linked entity.

He denied acting inappropriately with regards to any investments made by the PIC and repudiated all allegations that he had knowingly sought to promote any funding from the corporation to his son. He added that the PIC was investigating this allegation, which the minister dismissed as meritless.

Nene further labelled as “fake” a WhatsApp message that alleges his wife had received foreign funds into her offshore account.

“I again reject this with the contempt that it deserves,” Nene said.

The minister said his wife did not have any foreign account and had not received any funds from any foreign sources.

In a press statement on Wednesday, DA MP David Maynier called on Malema to appear before the state capture commission himself if he has evidence of Nene’s alleged corruption. Maynier said Malema had conducted what appeared to be a smear campaign against Nene in alleging that he had played any role in state capture in South Africa.

“Today, the minister confirmed he had met the Guptas, and although he seems to have exercised poor judgment meeting the Guptas, knowing that they were under investigation by National Treasury for their role in the Estina Dairy Project, he strongly denied he had acted improperly, as deputy finance minister and chairperson of the Public Investment Corporation.

“Rather than standing on the sidelines sabre rattling, Mr Malema should now have the courage to appear under oath and give evidence relating to his allegations so that they can be properly investigated by the Zondo Commission.”

Malema’s tweet divided opinion on Sunday.

The economy is vulnerable. We cannot afford anything that will bring it to its knees.

— Christopher Sono (@SonoChristopher) October 7, 2018

They don't care. There is something bigger going on here and we citizens are just pawns in the game.

— Tom D. Harry (@TomHarry1878) October 7, 2018

The man has already saved us from the Nuclear build that would have crippled the economy. Nene must remain as Finance Minister. For me I think Nene has got the interest of South Africans at heart.

— Christopher Sono (@SonoChristopher) October 7, 2018

https://twitter.com/antonres/status/1048803425998258176

Old music… Malema he's not the owner of VBS and He has no business with it, so what are you saying? Get life man and leave hatred cos it will destroy you… VBS every black person was happy about it till everything came out… So get a Life and New Music

— Mongkane (@ScoliwaNgoash) October 7, 2018

https://twitter.com/antonres/status/1048847623594168320

It’s a catch 22 between his replacement and election calendar. Paraffin brigades have been warned that he is not an option since he is a marked men by the fighters #Kubi

— African (@ali_naka) October 7, 2018

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