Malatji accused the EFF of being a populist organisation that will soon disappear from South Africa’s political landscape.
ANC Youth League (ANCYL) President Collen Malatji has slammed the EFF for approaching the Public Protector (PP) to investigate the league’s treasurer-general (TG), Zwelo Masilela.
During interviews by parliamentarians this week, Masilela revealed that he had held a senior job at a Mpumalanga municipality without any post-matric qualifications.
He was being questioned by EFF Youth leader Sihle Lonzi, who serves on the Portfolio Committee for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities.
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NYDA interviews and Masilela’s CV
The interview was for positions on the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) board.
However, Masilela’s interview left those who were watching with questions about his qualifications and the integrity of his CV.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Malatji described the EFF as a populist organisation which used a national platform to try and embarrass the ANCYL.
“A corrupt organisation like the EFF, led by a corrupt commander in chief (CIC) goes and lays charges to the PP about something that is not there.
“We still do not know how that leader of the EFF survived a case of money laundering, a case of corruption and a case of using a trust fund of his son. The EFF is the last organisation to speak about corruption,” he said.
Senior researcher position
Malatji said there was nothing wrong with Masilela’s appointment as senior researcher at the Mbombela Local Municipality. He said this was a political office appointment.
“Zwelo was deployed in a political office, he was moved around different roles. And it was out of his control. There was nothing that he could do. The best thing that he did was to declare it because normally people would not declare, He did say in the interview that this responsibility that he had been given is not inline with what he had applied for,” he said.
EFF vs ANCYL
Malatji said the ANCYL also has information about the EFF’s dirty dealings and will soon be releasing it.
“We are not worried about them; we will be on them. We know their things; very soon, we will be opening cases against them also. This means the EFF and the Youth League will be busy in police stations very soon,” he said.
Malatji accused the EFF of disrespecting the constitution of the country and being responsible for the collapse of several municipalities.
“They are not of high value. We know even in municipalities that they have been given the responsibility to govern them. They have collapsed them,” he said.
EFF complaint
The EFF’s complaint against Masilela is rooted in potential breaches of the the constitution of South Africa, the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, and the Public Protector Act.
According to the party, Masilela’s appointment raises serious questions about transparency, ethical hiring practices, and the misuse of public funds,
The Citizen has approached the EFF’s spokesperson,Sinawo Tambo, for comment on the matter.
However, when this article was published, there was no response. The article will be updated once comments are received.
