Malema ‘rejects’ Zondo’s state capture report findings for attacking ‘black quality’

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has criticised Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and the findings of his state capture report.

Malema, speaking at Freedom Charter Day rally in Kliptown, Soweto, on Sunday, said Zondo had focused on black leaders and ignored the corrupt activities of white people.

“Zondo attacks black quality and black excellence,” said Malema.

The EFF leader also accused Zondo of not looking into what was initially intended by the state capture commission.

“All we asked the commission to do was to check the relationship between Zuma and the Guptas and to check if the Guptas did not influence the removal of Nhlanhla Nene overnight. Why is there no report about multinational companies that are avoiding tax in South Africa colluding with the banks? It is because they are white-owned. We reject the Zondo commission report.”

ALSO READ: Zuma to challenge state capture report, lay complaint with JSC against Zondo

“As long as multinational business and white minority capital is not in the Zondo reports, then we reject the report because it pursues an anti-black agenda,” Malema added.

Malema’s comments suggest though that he is unfamiliar with the terms of reference of the inquiry, as it was published by the Department of Justice and Correctional Services in the Government Gazette in 2018.

Read the terms of reference below:

Government Gazette: State C… by Kiri Rupiah

Acting in the interests of white people

Malema further accused Zondo of acting in the interests of white people who lost their businesses to black people.

“Zondo was not addressing state capture but was investigating black people that have taken business from white people. He just came in to fight each and every black man who took business from white people.”

ALSO READ: ANC’s political future hangs in the balance – Zondo report could be the final straw

Zondo, the chairperson of the state capture commission, handed the final report to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday evening.

The final report was submitted four-and-a-half years after the first sitting of the state capture commission. It investigated allegations that the Gupta family influenced former president Jacob Zuma and his cabinet.

The inquiry cost nearly R1 billion and involved 300 witnesses, 3,171 summonses, and 8,655,530 pages of documents.