Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has blamed President Cyril Ramaphosa for Mmusi Maimane’s resignation from the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Malema was addressing journalists at Nasrec, Johannesburg, when he made the comments on Monday.
He said, “Look at what Cyril did to Maimane. All of you are saying Helen Zille, Helen Zille. It is not Helen Zille, it is Cyril.”
CR17 funders ‘are also DA funders’
Malema said Maimane’s troubles began when he raised the issue of ex-Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson’s R500,000 donation to Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign in Parliament.
The CR17 campaign led to Ramaphosa’s election as President of the African National Congress (ANC) in December 2017.
Maimane subsequently filed a complaint with Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane over the donation, leading to Mkhwebane’s damning report against Ramaphosa released in July.
Malema said, “The day Maimane wrote a letter [to Mkhwebane] and the public protector found against Cyril, Helen came out saying that was the most stupid thing to write [to Mkhwebane], and Tony Leon also came out saying the same. That is where the problems for Maimane started.
“Why? By writing the letter and emails coming out showing names, he exposed the funders who are the real owners of the DA.”
‘Why don’t you work with Cyril’
Malema also claimed that potential funders have asked EFF “to work with Cyril” but the party has refused.
“Every time we fundraise, people say to us, ‘Why do you not just work with Cyril?’ Imagine if they can say that to us, what about Mmusi?”
He claimed Maimane and outgoing Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba have been forced out of DA because they refused to work with Ramaphosa.
The EFF leader further suggested that CR17 campaign funders are also DA funders.
Malema and other EFF leaders were touring Nasrec ahead of the party’s National People’s Assembly scheduled for December.