Julius Malema: Two ANC Deputy Presidents Equals More Looting of State Resources

The EFF leader called the ANC policy conference "useless" and said neither Cyril Ramaphosa nor Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma would make a good leader.

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema pulled no punches in describing the ANC's recommendation for two deputy presidents as an opportunity for all factions in the ruling party to loot the resources of the state equally.

Malema said factions arise when one group is looting and the other is standing by and complaining about it, thereby causing disruptions in the party.

He was speaking at the Rand Merchant Bank Macro Forum in Sandton on Thursday.

"They [the ANC] say the biggest thing that came out [of the national policy conference] was that when there are two candidates and the one loses, the loser will become the deputy... so that the two factions can work together. But instead, it should be that the two factions can loot together," Malema said.

"They are tired of others looting and excluding others, so the excluded ones are fighting the looters so that they can get in and loot themselves. Now they are saying the cake is too big, we can loot together."

Malema questioned the ANC's resolutions on solving pressing issues such as the technical recession and downgrades to junk status. He inferred that the ANC had made no sizeable contribution to these topics and called the six-day policy conference "useless".

When asked which presidential nominee he would prefer to work with, Malema said: "I don't think there's any willingness to work with Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. They come from a rotten organisation‚ they're all the same."

Land Expropriation

Malema said the ANC's recommendations on the expropriation of land came from the EFF.

"The ANC is now talking land because of the EFF. Expropriation is coming. The debate now is should we compensate or should we not compensate? I don't want us to engage in a disastrous way of expropriation that will put this country into an economic disaster. How do we distribute it in the most effective way that won't be disastrous to the economy?" Malema asked.

"They are using the land question as feed for factional battles... so they know which one you support. They use that to identify who belongs to which faction."

He said "white people" should not be "sensitive" over issues of land redistribution.

"We are not saying we are going to take the land from you and drive white people to the sea. This unnecessary sensitivity by white people is your own bird to nest. We are in a robust debate as a country and are trying to find solutions. Stop being sensitive and contribute to the debate," Malema scolded.

"How can we share it [land and wealth] with you if you are gone. You stay here, you are not going anywhere. It is going to be too dark without you. We must share the wealth and the land."

Free Education

Malema said free education is at the centre of the redistribution of wealth as "you cannot give senior positions and strategic positions to illiterates" because they will "collapse the institution".

He said the reason why black citizens were excluded academically is because they were "reserved for cheap labour".

"In order to change that, we ought to educate our people. An educated black nation is a direct threat to white supremacy," Malema said.

State Bank

Malema said South Africa's big banks were monopolising the industry and the EFF wants a state-owned bank.

"We want a state-owned bank that is competitive. There must be a huge difference forcing you [private banks] to come down and meet the competition of the state," he said.

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