The feud between firebrand politician Julius Malema (right) and tobacco and luxury goods billionaire Johann Rupert was always bound to erupt again. During his time as head of the ANC Youth League, Malema loved taking pot shots at Rupert, who heads one of South Africa’s richest families and is the chairman of R527bn global luxury goods group Richemont. Whether it was describing RDP houses as being smaller than Rupert’s bathroom; accusing Rupert and his friends of establishing a modern day laager in Stellenbosch or (falsely) of funding Apartheid, Malema saw a ready target in the larger than life heir to the empire established by his father Anton. With the restraint of his elders no longer a factor for the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters in this Election Year, Malema was always likely to turn back his favourite target. He did so at a Johannesburg media conference today. – Â AH Â
From the SA Press Association:
Billionaire businessman Johann Rupert is threatened by the EFF’s fight for economic freedom, the party said on Monday.
“Rupert is threatened by the economic struggle and the agenda to change patterns of ownership in South Africa,” Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema told reporters in Johannesburg.
He was announcing the EFF’s national and provincial lists of candidates for the May 7 general elections.
He said anything that threatened to change power relations in the country, would be a threat to the luxury goods tycoon.
“Even when we were in the ANC Youth League he said the youth league is like an irritating mosquito in a tent that needs doom.
“President Jacob Zuma became that doom, used… to destroy the ANCYL.”
According to the Sunday Times, Malema told a group of supporters at a rally in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, at the weekend that Rupert had ordered the ANC to deal with him while he was head of the ANCYL and that the businessman controlled the SA Revenue Service.
“Does Johann Rupert think we are fools? When Zuma handed us over to SARS, his reason was political, Rupert’s was [capital-driven].”
“@roblouw6: Malema blames tax woes on Johann Rupert mal !”Ludicrous, deliberately stirring race/class war-result: http://t.co/NbSZLMLwJn
— cutmaker (@cutmaker) March 16, 2014
Malema will run as the EFF’s presidential candidate.
Floyd Shivambu was number four on the national list, the party’s national spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was eighth and the national co-ordinator Andile Mngxitama was 10th.
Three members of the Socialist Party of Azania, including its president Lybon Mabasa, were part of the EFF’s candidate list.
Three members of the Black Consciousness Party, including its deputy president Nkosi Molala, and two members of South Africa First were also listed as EFF candidates.
Democratic Alliance MPL Meisie Kennedy would be one of EFF’s provincial candidates.
“If the DA is unhappy with that, they must fire her,” Malema said.
