‘It’s my show’ – EFF’s Malema continues claiming innocence, insisting he’s just a victim
EFF leader Julius Malema has said a friend had warned the Financial Services Board, the Public Investment Corporation and the South African Reserve Bank about the happenings at VBS Mutual Bank in 2016 but was dismissed.
“He came to me, said: ‘There is this bank, I am a shareholder, there is corruption.’ And I said: ‘Chief, do what you have to do’.”
The EFF leader opened himself up to the media once more on Thursday to address allegations of the link between the collapse of VBS Mutual Bank and his party.
A vintage Malema shuffled and juggled his way through journalists’ questions, who he said, were there to “interrogate” him for the benefit of the “court of public opinion”.
His engagement with the media followed an announcement by specialised policing unit the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) that they had arrested eight people linked to the looting of the bank.
Thys Wienekus, former acting chief financial officer of the Merafong municipality, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the scandal just hours before Malema’s media engagement.
The EFF, its leader and his second in command Floyd Shivambu have been accused of benefitting from the bank in a report titled “The Great Bank Heist” by advocate Terry Motau, who looked into the theft of about R2 billion from its investors, most of who were elderly people in Limpopo and municipalities.