Economic Freedom Fighters statement

14 July 2022

The Economic Freedom Fighters is concerned about the continued degeneration and devastation of South Africa under the corrupt misguidance of the current administration of Cyril Ramaphosa, and the entire collective of a failed former liberation movement. We know that the former liberation movement, like all of them in the African continent, is not a solution to the people of South Africa.

Rather, the conditions of our people are getting worse, and all systems that guarantee dignity of our people are crumbling. Since Ramaphosa assumed office as the President of South Africa, there is crisis after crisis and worse, the quality of lives and livelihoods for millions of our people are degenerating.

More than 12 million South Africans are jobless, and those who had jobs when Ramaphosa took office are also losing their jobs. Those who are employed and self-employed are drowning in debts and poverty, because of the rising prices of fuel, food, transport, and all other basic necessities and services.

The supply of electricity is at its worst stage since 1994, with ESKOM dismally and devastatingly failing to provide dependable electricity to households, businesses, and public institutions. This happens despite the so many promises by the current administration that load shedding will never happen again. What this means is that on several occasions, Ramaphosa has deliberately misled the people of South Africa.

He has effectively told lies about the state of ESKOM and its ability to provide electricity. The President is a liar, and a Swindler who makes empty promises and does not get held accountable. What is evident out of the electricity crisis in South Africa is that the former liberation movement, under its current misguidance of a puppet president is on a path to destroy ESKOM in the same way they are destroying all other strategic State-Owned Companies.

The sitting government has manufactured the ESKOM electricity crises because they want to create space for independent power producers (IPPs), which are largely companies from the West, working with close friends, handlers, and family members of the sitting President. The ultimate aim is to destroy and then privatize ESKOM, something the EFF will never agree to.

South Africa's sovereignty to provide its own electricity has been surrendered by the current president and this is evidenced by the fact that it was the US President Joe Biden, who announced that South Africa will decommission all coal power stations, an action that will increase the levels of unemployment and poverty of our people.

Moreover, just a few weeks ago, the British Parliament was discussing the electricity situation in South Africa, and spoke about possible solutions as if South Africa is a colonial outpost, and not an independent State that must determine its own destiny.

We want to assure our historical and current friends, particularly China, Russia, India, and Brazil that we in South Africa are still loyal to our economic, political, and social relationship, and that Cyril Ramaphosa's friendship with the West does not represent the will of the people of South Africa. In seeking the ultimate energy and electricity solutions, we are going to work closely with China and Russia because they have demonstrated thus far that they have superior energy alternatives. Ramaphosa will leave very soon, and we will restore our political and economic partnerships and common prosperity.

Under the current administration and misguidance of a puppet and criminal President, the level of crime remains high, and the South African Police Service (SAPS) is not doing anything about it.

It is almost 2 months since the murder of Hillary Gardee and the police have not yet provided a solid and believable case as to what happened and for what purpose. Young children died in a tavern in East London and there is still no sound reason as to what exactly happened. 15 people were massacred with automatic rifles in Soweto a week ago, and the police have not yet provided a sound explanation as to what exactly happened. All this to show that we are slowly degenerating into a lawless State, a banana republic, where criminals can do as they please without any consequences.

The extent of criminal murders, rape, and gender-based violence is on the rise despite the empty commitment of the current government to combat these horrible crimes. Many other crimes are on the rise, and nothing is happening to protect our people. Our people are not safe, and the government is nowhere to protect them. Innocent people are being killed in massacres and no one is protecting them.

The Police are not acting on serious crimes and are even turning a blind eye on massive acts of money laundering, racketeering, violation of South Africa's currency regulations, as well as on the illegal law enforcement by Cyril Ramaphosa and his gangsters, after the revelations of millions of dollars at the Phala Phala Farm.

We know as a matter of fact that the millions of dollars that were hidden in Phala Phala and many other properties of the sitting President are not proceeds of a game sale, and we know that the police, the South African Reserve Bank, the South African Revenue Services, the Financial Intelligence Centre, and all law enforcement agencies are fully aware that the sitting president has violated many laws of the Republic of South Africa and nothing is being done about it.

The Speaker of Parliament is also refusing to conduct an inquiry on the many violations of laws committed by the sitting President.

The EFF wrote Parliamentary questions to Cyril Ramaphosa to ask him to explain where the money comes from, and to also disclose the other millions hidden in his properties, but he chose to violate the Rules of Parliament and the Constitution, and has not responded to any of the questions we sent to him.

We as the EFF have also written to the South African Reserve Bank, the South African Revenue Services, the Financial Intelligence Centre, and all relevant structures to demand that Cyril Ramaphosa be held accountable and nothing is being done about it.

As a revolutionary movement, a responsible and decisive movement of the people of South Africa, we have now decided to engage in the following activities:

1) The EFF will approach the Courts of South Africa to compel the South African Reserve Bank, the South African Revenue Services, the Financial Intelligence Centre, and Ramaphosa to honestly answer to all the questions we have sent to them.

2) The EFF will approach the Courts of South Africa to compel Parliament to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation of all the crimes committed by Cyril Ramaphosa with the aim of building a solid case for an impeachment.

3) The EFF will approach all Political Parties in Parliament, including the ANC, to engage on a motion of no confidence against Cyril Ramaphosa as a president of South Africa.

4) The EFF will also form part of all progressive formations and organizations in South Africa to plan and engage in a NATIONAL SHUT DOWN which will seek to remove Cyril Ramaphosa from office, whilst also making the following additional demands

a. An end to load shedding, and the immediate dissolution of the ESKOM Board and firing of all senior management.

b. The reduction of fuel prices to prices of 2018, and a subsequent mechanism of regulating the rise of fuel prices.

c. An end to privatization of State-Owned Companies, and the immediate resignation of Pravin Jamnandas Gordhan.

d. An end to crime and the removal of the current Minister of Police.

e. A basic income grant which will protect the poorest of the poor from the current poverty and starvation levels.

f. An immediate arrest of Cyril Ramaphosa to account for all the crimes he committed in Phala Phala Farm g. An immediate end to Western forces, particularly Britain and US, from interfering in South Africa's energy policy and direction.

The nature and character of a NATIONAL SHUT DOWN which the EFF will partake in will not be a candle holding and white flags type of a SHUT DOWN. It will be a SHUT DOWN that must communicate to the sitting government that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We cannot fold our arms and do nothing when our country is being sold to the dogs.

The EFF calls on all the people of South Africa to join on the NATIONAL SHUT DOWN to demand our country back from an incompetent, directionless, and a criminal syndicate that enjoys the protection of white monopoly capital and its media.

We have done it before when the Gupta criminal syndicate tried to undermine our sovereignty, let us rise and protect our country from this puppet of both domestic and global capitalist forces.

We as the EFF stand firmly behind the fearless Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane. We know that the reason why Cyril Ramaphosa rushed to suspend her is because he was avoiding the 31 questions she asked regarding Phala Phala Farm and the so many laws that were violated.

Parliament must never allow to be co-opted into factional and crime hiding activities to the extent of protecting an individual at the expense of principle.

Ramaphosa is still obliged to answer to all the questions given to him because the Executive Ethics Code obliges him to respond the questions of the Public Protector truthfully and timeously.

The EFF supports a motion that Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa must physically appear before the Section 194 Committee in Parliament to answer to the questions of why he suspended the Public Protector, when he is unquestionably conflicted, and refusal to do so will amount to judicial irrationality.

Parliament is a legislative and oversight instrument of South Africa's democratic order, and must never be found wanting.

When the 5th democratic parliament failed to hold former President, Jacob Zuma accountable, the Constitutional Court passed a judgment that chastised Parliament's failure to hold former President Zuma accountable.

As such, we refuse to be part of the Members of Parliament who will fold arms when our laws are violated by a sitting head of state and government. We refuse to be useless Parliamentarians who do nothing when the executive violates the laws of this country.

Who will respect the rule of law if a sitting head of State does not respect the laws? Who must comply with foreign currency regulations when a sitting head of State does not? Who must respect SARS and pay taxes when the so-called President does not? Who must respect law enforcement agencies and South Africa's criminal justice system when a sitting head of State chooses a gangsterism approach of hunting those who stole what appears to be stolen dollars from him?

We refuse to turn a blind eye against crimes committed by Cyril Ramaphosa. He is not above the law, and he will never be above the law, because we will not allow him to be above the law. We call on all Ground Forces of the EFF to continue with the commendable work of recruiting thousands of our people into the ranks of the EFF, and we appreciate that if our momentum is not slowed down, we will reach the 1 million membership target before December 2022.

Over the next few months, in all Provinces across the country, the EFF will be holding their Provincial People's Assemblies, which will elect new Provincial Leadership. As we said before, we call for maximum discipline in all the PPAs, and in all the Branch General and People's Assemblies that are taking place all over South Africa.

Moreover, the EFF Students' Command will be holding its 4th National Students' Assembly from the 22nd to the 24th of July 2022, which will be attended by more than 750 delegates from Universities, Universities of Technology, and TVET colleges from more than 290 campuses.

The EFF Students Command is currently the only reliable and dependable voice of students and the youth in South Africa, and so those who are delegates o the 4th National Student Assembly should exercise maximum discipline, and must produce a political programme and agenda that will fight for the attainment of quality, free, and decolonized education for all.

Furthermore, on the 26th of July 2022, the EFF will be turning 9 years, disproving many prophets of doom who had said that our organization will never live beyond its 1st Conference. As the EFF, we have demonstrated beyond any doubt that we are the only stable and disciplined emancipation movement of the people of South Africa.

The rally to celebrate the 9th Anniversary of the EFF will take place at the Dr. Molemela Stadium, in Bloemfontein, Mangaung on Saturday the 30th of July 2022, and we invite all Activists, and all the people of South Africa to come in their numbers.

The EFF reiterates its rejection of the appointment of 76-year-old Barney Pityana as the Chair of the Lotteries Commission. Pityana's appointment is rooted in the attempted capture of the institution, by Ebrahim Patel and his cronies, in order to ensure his friends and business associates to win a manipulated lottery license that is due for renewal in July 2023.

We call on Pityana to reject this appointment, in defence of his legacy, which will be tainted by what looks like greed and lack of consciousness on his part. The prevailing conditions confronting the youth of South Africa are dire, and this hopelessness is increased by the insistence of this regime, to sideline young people.

Lastly, we welcome the decision by the University of Cape Town to honour the sporting legend and founder of Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, Dr. Kaizer Motaung, with an Honorary Doctorate.

It was at the 2nd National People's Assembly of the EFF in 2019, where we long declared that Kaizer Motaung is a Doctor. Dr Motaung's invaluable contribution to football development as a player, administrator, and founder of one of the biggest brands in the continent is admirable and must be celebrated.

This is because Dr. Motaung built an institution without any white supervision, and in the midst of the brutality of Apartheid, and his success is a testament to black excellence which must be emulated by all.

The EFF also welcomes the election of Chief Fortune Charumbira as the President of the Pan African Parliament. For the first time, the institution is led by a member of the SADC region, under the principle of rotation which was fought for bitterly.

The EFF calls on the Pan African Parliament to mould itself into a legislative institution with authority across the continent. President Charumbira must lead efforts to root out intolerance, persecution, war, division, and poverty across Africa, and never allow imperialists to dictate the path the continent takes politically, economically, and otherwise.

The immediate task of the Chief Fortune Charumbira must be to make sure that the required number of Parliaments in the African continent ratify the revised protocol of the Pan African Parliament. Additionally, we have to build closer relationships with all Africans in the diaspora, particularly in the Caribbean, because Africans face similar challenges in all parts of the world, and we have a common destiny.

In conclusion, we reiterate our call for Cyril Ramaphosa to step down as a President of South Africa, and caution him that he must not test our patience. We have been patient for far too long, and we have acted within the provided institutions, and there is nothing happening. Ramaphosa is not above the law, and no one is above the law. This tendency of buying people and buying Judges, and corrupting our country must come to an end.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 14 July 2022