Shivambu clarifies EFF’s position on political party funding

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy leader Floyd Shivambu clarified the red berets’ position on political party funding, saying the organisation had since its inception insisted on transparency when it came to funding for political parties.

Shivambu was speaking on eNCA’s Tonight with Jane Dutton on Tuesday evening, where he said the EFF had been the only party to call for the disclosure of funding for political parties in its 2014 election manifesto.

The EFF deputy leader said the party had further argued strongly in Parliament for the disclosure of political party donors.

“There were, of course, some legislative, technical issues that we dealt with even in our official input in the National Council of Provinces, in the National Assembly, we made it categorically clear that no one must be given money outside a defined territory, that all political parties must say who are their funders,” Shivambu said.

ALSO READ: Reasons why the EFF rejects the political party funding bill

The Constitutional Court ruled recently that political parties must disclose funding, a decision EFF leader Julius Malema openly supported.

Shivambu on Tuesday evening added the EFF had always been transparent about where the party had sourced its funding.

READ MORE: Links to cigarette smugglers no secret, says Malema

“Every cent that we receive from Parliament, from the IEC [Independent Electoral Commission], from the donations of public representatives of the EFF, we disclose and illustrate where that money was expended.

“By the way, in Parliament, we are the best performing political party in terms of the cleanness of our books, in terms of what the AG [Auditor-General] says are the reporting mechanisms of all political parties,” Shivambu said.

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The EFF deputy leader had said neither he nor the EFF would back down on his controversial criticism of National Treasury deputy director-general Ishmail Momoniat.

Shivambu had criticised Momoniat of undermining leaders of African descent within Treasury.

ALSO READ: Shivambu: I never said Momoniat is un-African

Dutton questioned whether the EFF’s apparent attack on Momoniat was not in fact linked to alleged corruption in Limpopo, which had allegedly benefited the party’s leadership.

ALSO READ: Listen: EFF digs in its heels on Shivambu’s Momoniat comments

According to media reports, Shivambu and the EFF’s criticism of Momoniat could possibly be linked to investigations into Malema’s tax affairs, the party’s ties to the tobacco industry and a probe into alleged corruption in Limpopo.

Minority rights group AfriForum recently announced its intention to privately prosecute Malema on charges of corruption and fraud for the alleged corrupt activity of a company, On-Point Engineering in Limpopo, which Malema’s family trust has interest in.

Responding to Dutton, Shivambu said: “That is the most stupid thing I have ever heard. Which money flow from Limpopo? We do not have any money flow [from Limpopo].”

Shivambu said Dutton had been misinformed by her colleagues, reiterating the EFF did not have funds flowing from the province.

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