Mngxitama says EFF ‘hates blacks’ by voting against Zuma’s pension

Black First Land First (BLF) leader Andile Mngxitama has blasted his former political home, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), for having voted against former president Jacob Zuma being granted pension benefits as well as the continued funding of his medical aid costs.

Mngxitama took to Twitter to question why the EFF and Democratic Alliance (DA) – which was also opposed to a recommendation that Zuma should receive his pension and medical aid benefits – had not taken issue with former president FW De Klerk being paid a state pension.

“DA and EFF don’t want president Zuma to get his pension but are ok with the mass murderer FW de Klerk getting a state pension. Imagine if these people were to get national political power. Blacks will be in trouble. They hate black people,” Mngxitama tweeted.

The BLF leader added that it was questionable that the red berets were opposed to Zuma being paid a state pension when those who had been ministers during apartheid were still being paid state pensions.

Mngxitama said that because of its vote on the matter, the EFF had become a threat to black people because the party supposedly worked for “whites”.

“I didn’t care how much you hate Zuma but you can’t stand in parliament and vote that he must not have a state pension when all the apartheid ministers including FW de Klerk enjoy their pension. The EFF is a danger to black people. It’s no longer even funny. They work for whites,” Mngxitama tweeted.

The ANC, the majority party in parliament, had on Wednesday voted to grant former president Jacob Zuma generous pension benefits as well as agreeing to continue to pay his medical aid costs.

The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers had recommended last month that the pension and medical aid benefits Zuma should get should be equal to 100% of his salary upon retirement, that his estate should apparently continue to benefit from it even after he dies and that he should continue to get increases to ensure his salary remains in line with that given to the sitting president, in this case President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mngxitima made an oral submission in parliament last week on the possible amendment of section 25 of the constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation, criticising the EFF’s policy that the state should be the custodian of expropriated land.

The red berets’ deputy leader, Floyd Shivambu, later criticised the BLF, sayings its foolishness had “reached tremendous proportions” and that its “obsession with the EFF and its leadership also requires some psychiatric attention”.