‘EFF should not speak about corruption’: Malatji slams red berets for questioning ANCYL leader’s qualifications

ANC Youth League (ANCYL) President Collen Malatji has slammed the EFF for approaching the Public Protector to investigate its treasurer-general, Zwelo Masilela.

During interviews by parliamentarians this week for a board post at the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Masilela revealed that he held a senior job at a Mpumalanga municipality without any post-matric qualifications.

He was being questioned by EFF youth leader Sihle Lonzi, who serves on the Portfolio Committee for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities.

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NYDA interviews and Masilela’s CV

Masilela’s interview left those who were watching with questions about his qualifications and the integrity of his CV.

However, in a press briefing on Thursday, Malatji criticised the EFF for using a national platform to try and embarrass the ANCYL. He also said the EFF should not be too harsh on Masilela because its leader Julius Malema has faced corruption allegations in the past.

“A corrupt organisation like the EFF, led by a corrupt commander in chief, goes and lays charges to the [Public Protector] about something that is not there.

“We still do not know how that leader of the EFF survived a case of money laundering, a case of corruption and a case of using a trust fund of his son. The EFF is the last organisation to speak about corruption,” he said.

Senior researcher position in Mpumalanga

Malatji said there was nothing wrong with Masilela’s appointment as senior researcher at the Mbombela Local Municipality as it was a political office appointment.

“Zwelo was deployed in a political office, he was moved around different roles. And it was out of his control. There was nothing that he could do. The best thing that he did was to declare it because normally people would not declare. He did say in the interview that this responsibility that he had been given is not in line with what he had applied for,” he said.

EFF vs ANCYL

Malatji said the ANCYL also has information about the EFF’s dirty dealings and will soon release it.

“We are not worried about them; we will be on them. We know their things; very soon, we will be opening cases against them also. This means the EFF and the Youth League will be busy in police stations very soon,” he said.

Malatji accused the EFF of disrespecting the constitution of the country and being responsible for the collapse of several municipalities.

“They are not of high value. We know even in municipalities that they have been given the responsibility to govern them. They have collapsed them,” he said.

EFF complaint

The EFF’s complaint against Masilela is rooted in potential breaches of the the constitution of South Africa, the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, and the Public Protector Act.

According to the party, Masilela’s appointment raises serious questions about transparency, ethical hiring practices, and the misuse of public funds,

Speaking to The Citizen on Friday, Lonzi said Masilela’s employment without qualifications is a scary representation of the corruption which has infiltrated the ANC.

“With so many qualified and competent young people in South Africa who are unemployed, it is a shame that people who are not qualified get promoted to senior roles, through irregular processes, because they have connections in the ANC,” he said.

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