EFF leader Julius Malema used his usual press briefings to announce legal action against a former member, the disruption of the book launch of Gangster State and the ongoing Alexandra.
Malema addressed the media on Wednesday and reiterated his party's finances are not being mismanaged and promised to sue a former EFF member for R1 million over what he calls defamatory comments.
He denied accusations made by now former EFF member and MP Thembinkosi Rawula.
He said his lawyers were in the process of issuing court papers on Rawula and has promised to “clean him out”.
Rawula accused Malema and his deputy Floyd Shivambu of abusing the party’s finances and refusing to open up the party’s financial books.
He also said Malema had told EFF members in a meeting that the party had accepted money from VBS bank.
Rawula has been accused of being embittered because he has not been included in the party’s list for Parliament.
Malema said these claims were untrue and said Parliament and the IEC would never provide funds to the party if it did not have proper financial records.
“We reiterate that our finical standing as an organisation is at its best, demonstrated by the fact that parliament, legislatures and the IEC have all given EFF money for five years. We have noted with keen interest that there are people who because they did not find expression in the EFF final list to parliament, have decided to break rank,” said Malema.
Gangster State
Malema labelled the disruption of the book launch of Gangster State as "thuggery" and "anti-intellectual".
He was commenting following Tuesday night’s disruption of the book launch of Gangster State; Unravelling Ace Magashule's Web of Capture at Exclusive Books in Sandton.
The event was cut short after a group of people who were dressed in ANC T-shirts disrupted the launch and proceeded to tear pages from the book.
The book is written by journalist Pieter Louis Myburgh, centres on Magashule's alleged corrupt activities while he was the premier of the Free State and the chairperson of the ANC in the province.
Malema said there is no purpose in burning books that one disagrees with.
"To go into the extent of going into book shops that is anti-intellectualism. It's anti-intellectuals who do such a thing. You have to read people you disagree with in order to understand where they are coming from," said Malema.
He claimed the commotion at the book launch was orchestrated by the ANC and that its leadership was aware of it.
"The new dawn is now burning books. It is the same new dawn that released a statement on Ace," said Malema.
Alex protests
Malema accused the ANC of being behind the protests in Alexandra township. He said the issues faced by residents at the historic township were not manufactured by the DA, but by the ANC who failed to deliver services.
“Alex protest is an ANC protest. It is an ANC campaign strategy and it will backfire on them because it will spread into the municipalities that they are governing. Before they know it, this country will be on fire. There is no mess created by the DA in Alex. The DA found that mess there and they did not do anything about it, that's the difference. Where is the money of Alexandra Renewal? Who is responsible to answer? Perks Tau and the Alex Mafia,” he said.
White Farmers
Malema said white farmers should stay in South Africa but said he would not beg them to do so. The EFF has supported the expropriation of land without compensation and this view has often been received with condemnation.
“White farmers should stay in SA but I will not beg them. I will not glorify white privilege, we are all valuable to the growth of the economy. No-one is going to destroy any white farm, no white person is going to be killed or beaten up under the EFF government,” said Malema.