Malema on media freedom, Zuma and the Guptas

Screengrab: @mojoIOL/Twitter

Screengrab: @mojoIOL/Twitter

Published Feb 9, 2016

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Johannesburg - In a fiery address to EFF supporters gathered at Mary Fitzgerald Square, the leader of the party Julius Malema touched on media freedom, white capital, Constitutional rights, but mainly the issues of President Jacob Zuma, Nkandla and the Guptas.

The EFF has taken Zuma to the Constitutional Court over actions regarding the Public Protector’s remedial action over undue benefits that resulted from R250-million security upgrades at his private Nkandla residence.

Malema said: “We have (the) Constitutional Court and the Guptas to deal with, they must leave South Africa. We have written 25 reasons why they should leave. There’s nothing racist about it. They are criminals milking the state’s money.”

Malema urged financial and state-owned institutions, including South African Airways, to stop giving their employees The New Age newspaper “for free” because doing so was “supporting crime”.

But Malema said: “We salute journalists who speak truth to power.”

Malema went on to say that the ANC is under siege. “We are putting too much pressure on them. We are coming for them from all municipalities because they don't live up to the agenda that seeks to achieve a better life for all,” he said.

“South Africans are tired of the ANC. South Africans are tired of Zuma. South Africans are tired of corruption,” Malema said.

The march to the Constitutional Court is in support of the EFF matter in which it is joined by the Democratic Alliance and the Public Protector Thuli Madonsela. Corruption Watch is involved as a friend of the court.

EFF Daveyton branch member Mlungisi Glen Sibiya said the party’s members would make sure that Zuma abides by the public protector’s payment instructions.

“We are not here just to march for fun. We want to make sure that he goes to jail if he does not pay back the money,” said Sibiya

The EFF also wants the court to find that Zuma broke the law by not complying with the public protector’s remedial action, which requested the President to pay for undue benefits such as the swimming pool, amphitheatre and cattle kraal, which were said to be part of security upgrades that cost the state nearly R250-million.

The march is now underway to Constitutional Court with their leadership leading the way.

About 2 000 EFF members were chanting “We want our money”. Some carried placards reading “ANC MUST FALL” and “PAY BACK THE MONEY”.

African News Agency and IOL MOJO

#PayBackTheMoney Malema: We are here to make one thing clear #IOL @IOL pic.twitter.com/mTfk3aCLT7

— MojoIOL (@mojoIOL) February 9, 2016

#PayBackTheMoney Malema addresses the crowd. We salute journalists who speak truth to power #IOL @IOL pic.twitter.com/EP5KcCo4Um

— MojoIOL (@mojoIOL) February 9, 2016

#PayBackTheMoney Malema on protecting Media freedom #IOL @IOL pic.twitter.com/kzOjufcr3A

— MojoIOL (@mojoIOL) February 9, 2016

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