Zelda Venter
PRETORIA: What the ANC experienced in Parliament on Thursday, when the Economic Freedom Fighters stuck to their guns and demanded that President Jacob Zuma “pay back the money”, was just a taste of what is to come.
This is according to EFF leader Julius Malema, who addressed the media outside the North Gauteng High Court yesterday, minutes after his provisional sequestration order was extended to December 1.
Apart from saying that his tax problems were in the process of being sorted out, Malema lashed out at ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe for calling for Parliament to be moved to Pretoria as soon as possible. He also criticised the ANC for calling in the help of the police to remove him and his colleagues from Parliament.
Regarding his tax problems, Malema said he had settled the matter with Sars and by December 1, when the matter was due back in court, he would have cleared his bill.
The first instalment was R1 million and he had subsequently paid another R1m. He must pay R500 000 every month and Sars was deducting R30 000 from his salary every month. “So far I have paid nearly R2m. By December I would have paid R4m. And then they must back off.”
Malema said he had to pay Sars R4m – this was on top of his assets (his farm and homes) which the taxman had sold to recover its money.
Regarding last week’s spat in Parliament, Malema said the EFF innocently demanded the money from Zuma. “They call that a protest and called the police. Fortunately white policemen came. They know the law, unlike our brothers… They said, ‘But these guys are protesting at their workplace… it is peaceful.’”