Johannesburg - A set of bank transaction SMSes, leaked as the fight between Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leaders and their estranged MPs and former close associates intensifies, has placed the party in Maputo, Mozambique on the days when its bosses allegedly met members of the ANC to negotiate a return to the ruling party.
The SMSes, reflecting transactions on EFF credit cards, show they were swiped at two venues in Maputo around the time the meetings are alleged to have taken place.
EFF’s Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu on Saturday denied having gone to Maputo or having “any meeting with anybody” from the ANC, saying if there was expenditure there it must have been for EFF party work as that is what the credit cards were used for.
Asked whether the best way to dispel the allegations was to show his passport, Malema said that was an unfair proposition as “the onus is on the accuser to show proof of what they are accusing me of. Those are the people that must show the proof.”
He said they would look into the alleged expenditure, and hold a press briefing to clarify all issues related to claims made about the party’s finances.
The Sunday Independent has seen bank SMS notifications linked to both EFF credit cards, which show spending at the Southern Sun Hotel and the Matemo Island Resort in Mozambique last month. This comes in the week when Shivambu also disputed claims that he drives a luxury Porsche vehicle, claims that emerged in an explosive open letter written to Malema by his former associate and businessman Gayton McKenzie.
Shivambu said this week that people close to him know that he does not own the vehicle, and that his 7-series BMW was with the panelbeaters after an accident he had last year.
“Since then, I have not replaced the car and am still working towards making sure that it is repaired and sold to level matters with the financier of the car,” he said this week.
McKenzie alleged that the meeting was held at the Southern Sun Hotel, and has subsequently alleged that a second meeting took place at the Matemo Island Resort.
The meetings alleged to have taken place on January 18 and January 26 are among a range of allegations made by McKenzie against Malema and Shivambu.
The SMS notifications also showed the party credit card was used to buy unspecified items at Woolworths despite its support for the Boycott Woolworths campaign.
According to the SMS notification, amounts totalling R5 965.82 were swiped from the credit card on January 18 at the Southern Sun hotel. The spending started just after 8.30pm, the time that the meeting allegedly started.
On January 26, the date of the second alleged meeting, a total amount of R6 099.55 was spent at the Matemo Island Resort.
Malema later claimed they did not receive SMSes when spending on the card.
But the SMSes were allegedly received by EFF financial accountant Rirhandzu Baloyi and were part of the information he released to EFF MP Andile Mngxitama and McKenzie.
Baloyi has since claimed they received the information under false pretences as McKenzie and Kenny Kunene claimed to be Hawks officials. The spat between McKenzie, Malema, Shivambu and Kunene are part of the internal fracas in the party, which saw the suspension of four of its MPs this week.
Mngxitama, Mpho Ramakatsa, Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala and Lucky Thwala were all suspended by the party after hosting a press conference at which they accused Malema and Shivambu of looting party funds.
They also made the startling allegation that an assassin had been hired to kill Mngxitama.
Malema said these were lies that were being told because enemies of the EFF wanted to destroy the party.
He said all the allegations of looting party funds would be dispelled by an audit of the party’s finances.
“Those people are only saying these things because they were not elected to positions. We took a political decision to pay R50 000 for Ramakatsa’s legal fees in his battles with Ace Magashule because the lawyers wanted to attach his house. “Why is he not mentioning that as looting party funds?” asked Malema. Malema said he was baffled by the “hatred” he was getting from McKenzie and Kunene.
“They think I’m the one who drafted that statement where they were attacked, in response to Mngxitama’s allegations on SABC. I didn’t even know about the statement until I got a call from a journalist asking for comment.
“There was no meeting in Maputo with the ANC – it never happened. On the use of party funds, whenever money is stolen you see staff not getting paid, lights not being paid and that sort of thing.
“There are no such things happening in EFF, in fact we have extended our offices in Braamfontein. All these things will be clarified when the audits are done,” said Malema.
He said they would soon hold a press conference to give clarity on all the allegations.
At the press conference held by Mngxitama and the other MPs, it was alleged that ANC leaders Mathole Motshekga and Panyaza Lesufi were part of the meeting. Both have denied the claims.
Lesufi said he had never been to Mozambique, while Motshekga said he had not been to that country in 15 years.
This week, Shivambu disputed claims that the EFF has received money from Kunene and McKenzie, saying they must provide proof.
“Gayton goes around saying he gave us money, and such is not true because throughout the formation of the EFF, those were rock-bottom broke, such that Kenny could not even pay for a R3 000 venue we directed him to pay in Soweto.
“If Gayton claims he gave me money he must produce the statements and proof that he gave me money, other than the R3 000 which was payment for the assistance we gave to Kenny on virtually everything,” said Shivambu.
But McKenzie has hit back, showing an SMS communication between himself and Shivambu, which appears to show the EFF deputy president thanking him for money.
In the first SMS, Shivambu sends McKenzie his account numbers, two hours later, he sent him another SMS thanking him.
Shivambu said on Saturday if there was payment it must have been the R3 000 they were paying back for all the financial assistance he used to provide to Kunene.
Kunene said on Saturday there was more than enough proof of him spending money on Shivambu and Malema, and provided flight tickets where he travelled with Malema to Durban. The two appear to have left Johannesburg for Durban on 10 July last year and returned the following day.
Malema denied this. He
also dismissed the rally which Mngxitama addressed in the Free State on Saturday saying: “Can you even call that thing a rally?”
The Sunday Independent