‘We’re watching them’: Malema says they won’t tolerate ANC stealing flood relief funds

EFF leader Julius Malema has reiterated his claims that the billions of Rand earmarked to assist flood victims in KwaZulu-Natal and other parts of the country will be siphoned off by the ANC, to use for its upcoming elective conference in December.

Addressing the Red Berets’ Freedom Day rally on Wednesday in Mamelodi, Pretoria, Malema alleged that the flood relief funds would be looted by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s supporters in the ANC to secure him a second term as the governing party’s leader.   

“This government that pretends to care is going to come with non-existing billions, which they want to steal for the conference of the ANC.

“They declare R1 billion so that they can go and steal it and support Ramaphosa to be the president of the ANC once again,” Malema said.

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Despite Ramaphosa’s assurances this week that the relief funds would be protected from potential corruption, the EFF leader said his party would be keeping a close eye on government to ensure that no corruption or fraud takes place.

“We are watching them. Should they steal the money this time around, we will go after them. We don’t want nonsense; they have been stealing for a long time.

 “Instead of us concentrating on rebuilding the lives of our people in KZN, we’re busying keeping guard on criminals and the public purse.”

Land reform

Malema said during his visit to KZN last week in the wake of the devastating floods, communities affected by the deluge complained about government not providing them with safe land where they could build their homes prior to the floods.

He said the floods highlighted the importance of land reform in South Africa amid the challenges posed by climate change.

“These ones [government] come with crocodile tears here, pretending that they care. Why didn’t you care when they came before and said ‘we want this land’.

“Let’s expropriate land for the benefit of our people. Our people are going to die.”

‘False premise’

The EFF said that 28 years since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, not much had changed in terms of the objective realities of African people.

The party said South Africa has operated on a “false premise of unity and social cohesion”, without economically altering the ownership of the means of production.

“We thus have a façade of a democracy, coupled with a non-event of independence, because our political freedom was characterised by a negotiated settlement in which the perpetrators of the heinous crimes of apartheid were never held accountable.

“As a result of the undue and reckless consideration of our oppressors when we transitioned to democracy, the land of South Africa remains in the hands of a white minority, at a level of 72% compared to the measly and rotten 4% of land which is under African control.”

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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