‘Stellenbosch mafia’ runs SA through ‘white and Indian’ journalists, says Malema

Speaking outside the North Gauteng High Court where he was challenging the constitutionality of the Riotous Assemblies Act at a case which was postponed on Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of being “paranoid” and “colluding with [minister of public enterprises] Pravin [Gordhan] to abuse state resources”.

“They want us to see Ramaphosa as a victim but he’s not,” the leader of the red berets warned.

Malema also repeated his assertion that it is Gordhan, not Ramaphosa who runs the country, adding that the minister himself is in turn controlled by the “Stellenbosch mafia”.

“A war is coming. This country is run by Pravin and Pravin is run by the Stellenbosch mafia. Those people are more dangerous than Zuma. And they control senior Indian journalists and senior white journalists,” Malema said.

This is not the first time Malema has claimed that there are journalists, many of which happen to be Indian or white, who have formed a “mob” to protect the current dispensation.

“You have a group of journalists such as Ranjeni [Munusamy], Ferial [Haffajee], Max Du Preez, Karima Brown and the likes, that have grouped themselves into a mob that will attack you if you say anything about Ramaphosa,” he said in July.

READ MORE: Mpofu tells journalist her ‘secrets’ aren’t safe with him

This is also not the first time Malema has hit out at the “Stellenbosch mafia,” who he said comprises of billionaire Johan Rupert and others, although this is the most overt statement he’s made to date regarding the connection between this “mafia” and government.

Ironically, an article on Black Opinion, a site that is known as a mouthpiece for Andile Mngxitama’s controversial party Black First, Land First, attempted to argue that Malema and Rupert have a “relationship”, albeit without providing much in the way of actual evidence.

Malema continued his address outside the courthouse, alleging corruption perpetrated by Gordhan alongside the “Stellenbosch mafia” will not come to light due to them owning the media.

READ MORE: Malema declares war on Ramaphosa, Motsepe and Gordhan

“The media will not tell the ruthlessness of the other side because those people, unlike Zuma, own the media. So you must know that there will be negative reporting about the EFF leadership so that we enter the 2019 elections with a dark cloud hanging over our heads,” he said.

The EFF leader also repeated his assertion that Ramaphosa and Gordhan “use state institutions to settle scores”.

“They use state institutions to intimidate and silence their opponents. Ramaphosa must know that if he wants to use the same dirty tactics of Zuma, then he will never have peace in that parliament,” Malema added.

At his speech to mark the party’s fifth birthday in July, Malema declared war on Ramaphosa and Gordhan.

“Next year we are going to pull the buffalo by the tail,” he said at the time, in a reference to Ramaphosa’s “buffalo” nickname.

He also lashed out at Gordan, a minister he has called “Stalinist”, a “control freak”, and a “gangster”.

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