By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has vowed to ensure that President Cyril Ramaphosa is held accountable for any possible wrongdoing in the Phala Phala matter.
Malema was speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg on Monday.
His utterance came on the eve of the Constitutional Court hearing on the EFF’s challenge to ANC MPs’ handling of a Parliamentary panel report on the issue.
The EFF is accusing the ANC of using its majority in Parliament to forgo an impeachment investigation into Ramaphosa despite the panel’s finding that he had a case to answer.
In 2022, parliament rejected a report by an independent panel, chaired by retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, which concluded that Ramaphosa might have violated the Constitution and needed to be held accountable for his handling of the Phala Phala matter. The ANC majority in the National Assembly at the time voted overwhelmingly to reject the Ngcobo panel’s findings.
Malema also said, he was not a “pushover” and would not allow anyone to push him around because they had some form of a relationship. He said that this was why he was “hated.”
“If my wife can’t push me over, why would Jacob Zuma push me over? For what? What would I be begging from him which I did not beg [from] him when I was in the youth league when I was in the ANC?” Malema said.
“It cannot be that because we are being civil with Zuma therefore when you are civil with him, you can disagree with him, you must allow him to push you around. Not me.”
Despite the EFF and the MK forming the progressive caucus in parliament in opposition to the GNU after the elections, Malema said the parties did not have any formal relationship. He said dealings had taken a turn for the worse because of MK’ Party’s programme to recruit leaders from his Red Berets.
“Tomorrow we are marching to the constitutional court with everyone except MK Party. The MK Party won’t be part of our march. If they want to march, they must organise their own. Even the ANC can’t join us — it’s our march,” he said.
“Any other person that has been opposed to Phala Phala can join the EFF march tomorrow, starting at Mary Fitzgerald Square, to the constitutional court.”
The media briefing also covered the upcoming EFF’s third National People’s Assembly (NPA), with Malema dismissing rumours of senior member Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s ban.
“I don’t know what you want me to answer on Ndlozi because I never said anything about Ndlozi. EFF has never said anything. If we have anything to say, we will call a presser, “he said.
Speaking about the EFF’s stability, Malema said that the party has a firm footing in Parliament with 39 members for the next five years.
“If EFF were to collapse it will do so after five years, so those votes are there, and they won’t collapse. So, you got guaranteed five years of the existence of the EFF, at least in Parliament,” he said.
Asked if he anticipated more members leaving the party, Malema said those that they thought would leave have left.
New party leadership will be elected at the 12 to 15 December conference at Nasrec, Johannesburg, with Malema expected to make himself available to stand as president again.