Malema, Hill-Lewis clash over EFF’s coalition record

Julius Malema and Geordin Hill-Lewis faced off over the EFF’s record in coalition governments during the City of Johannesburg Leadership Debate on Thursday.

EFF leader Julius Malema has hit back at DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis after he accused the EFF of bringing chaos and corruption to coalition governments during a City of Johannesburg Leadership Debate on Thursday.

Malema challenged Hill-Lewis to provide an example of where the EFF had run a municipality chaotically, pointing to its role in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg.

“What chaotic governance did the EFF run where?” Malema asked.

He said EFF members serving as MMCs had not been accused of wrongdoing and pointed to what he described as their record on service delivery.

“In Tshwane, we've got two MMCs. The one who is responsible for keeping Tshwane clean and the one who is responsible for keeping the clinics of Tshwane open. Not a single one closed. What are you basing your argument on?”

Malema also referred to former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, saying the EFF had not used its political influence to seek tenders.

“Herman Mashaba was a mayor who said, I was in government, the EFF has never come to me and asked for a tender. So which chaos are you talking about?”

He then accused the DA of using “racism” to describe the EFF’s role in coalition governments.

“Except that you are hiding racism behind the concept chaos,” Malema said.

Hill-Lewis responded by pointing to Malema’s conviction for firing an automatic weapon in public before turning to allegations surrounding the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.

“Your party, and you personally, were deeply involved in the theft of hundreds of millions of rands from elderly women in Limpopo,” Hill-Lewis said.

He accused the EFF of facilitating and participating in corruption and state capture.

“South Africans are sick and tired of state capture and looting on a grand scale, which the EFF has facilitated, participated in, and led, wherever they have had the chance to do.”

Malema rejected the allegations, saying Hill-Lewis had failed to substantiate his claims.

“You say things you can't back. And that's what subtle racism is. It makes unfounded allegations because it can't say, I hate you for being black. So it hides behind unfounded allegations.”

Malema also said he had been cleared by Parliament in relation to VBS.

“There was no EFF that was found in VBS. I was cleared by Parliament on issues of VBS,” he said.

''You have no answer where the EFF was found to be chaotic. You have no answer, and you must admit, you have nothing against the EFF except that you can’t control it. That’s the problem you have,'' said Malema. 

Hill-Lewis countered by referring to a parliamentary finding involving former EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu and money received from a company linked to VBS.

Malema said Shivambu had not been found guilty of VBS-related corruption but had been found guilty of failing to declare the money.

Malema returned to his argument that the EFF’s independence was the reason some parties were unwilling to work with it.

“We are amenable to any form of governance as long as it is aimed at improving the lives of our people. Everywhere we have been and participated in government, not a single individual of the EFF has ever been accused of corruption because of the position they hold.”

He said claims that the EFF was too difficult to work with were ultimately about control.

“Yet you want to create an impression that this is the most corrupt organisation and you can't work with it. Simply, you can't control us.”

Malema further said the EFF had no white individuals controlling the party.

“There is no white individual who can claim to have control over the EFF, and that's why they say they can't work with the EFF. They'll have no one to talk to, unlike when they are negotiating coalitions.”

Hill-Lewis maintained that the EFF’s participation in coalition governments had contributed to instability, citing developments in Ekurhuleni.

“The fact is this. Where you are involved in government, there is chaos and corruption, and it is our job to stop you,” Hill-Lewis said.