To all economic freedom fighters and the world, here's an announcement:

As most people know, I recently wrote a letter to President Jacob Zuma discussing some of my concerns about what the ANC has become under his leadership. At the end of that letter, I asked a question, once a famous challenge by Vladimir Lenin: "What is to be done?"

I later did an interview on Kaya FM to clarify some of the points in the letter and also raised other issues, among them that ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe is known to speak privately about how he considers the election of Zuma a mistake and that his actions are harming the organisation.

Gwede went on Kaya the same day to deny it and instead of discussing my concerns, he discussed me and told South Africa all about my many perceived failings - but nothing he said was news to anyone, and he said nothing that I have not said myself, and been even more open about. The fact is that personally attacking the people who criticise you can't make the criticisms they may have about you disappear.

Many open letters were also, in return, written to me. Most of them chose the route of insulting me, but about my complaints there remains a deafening silence.

The ANC itself responded, though they attempted to make it sound like a general statement instead of responding to me directly. Their response didn't deal with any of the issues and just made it worse when you consider they wrote about the unauthorised landing of a "helicopter" at Waterkloof, when surely everyone knows by now it was a passenger plane from India.

I raised the concern that the report into spending at Nkandla will be covered up or made classified, and recent developments would indicate I was right to be concerned.

I later was told by Sunday World that I'm being investigated for fraud. It's about a letter that was sent to a number of newspapers, but there's no real merit to any of it. The Financial Services Board and the JSE already cleared the company concerned. So, as I was expecting, this is just the first step in the salvo of state-led attempts to threaten, scare and intimidate me. Of course, this has done the most to actually back up my concerns that the ANC under Zuma rules by fear now.

We all know how tough life becomes once you dare to cross this government. Just as Frank Chicane, Vusi Pikoli, Gerrie Nel and Glynnis Breytenbach. Your reputation and your livelihood is constantly on the line. 

So I know to expect the worst. I've learnt from people like these what happens when you get charged. But how long are we going to continue allowing these people to scare us. I got so many calls from people warning me: "They are going to deal with you." People know this is a government that "deals with people". But is that something we are willing to just accept?

In light of the above, the question of what is to be done remains as pertinent as ever.

So I have applied my mind to this question and have taken the decision to be part of a collective working hard and tirelessly to give birth to the Economic Freedom Fighters movement in order to not only take on the challenges facing the poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable but to show the ANC that it's not just me who feels the way I do. Millions of others do too, and their votes will make that much clearer than anything I could write in a letter.

I am like Paul, who used to be Saul, but saw the light on his way to Damascus. The life of sushi and my army of women I put behind me. I see this as a challenge and a blessing that God has given me to have so many followers to make sure I contribute to the development of young people.

I am now going full-time into politics as a member and a revolutionary cadre of the Economic Freedom Fighters movement to make it a force to be reckoned with and to contest the next election. Why this movement? The answer is that the majority of people I have interacted with are telling me we need an alternative voice in this country that will be revolutionary.

The formation of the Economic Freedom Fighters movement is therefore not the decision of Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu or Kenny Kunene. It is the better, alternative voice of South Africans who are fed up with living without hope that things will ever change for the better.

I therefore invite all South Africans who are tired of being lied to, manipulated and treated with arrogance to join the only revolutionary party in this country.

Yours in revolution,
Kenny T Kunene

Statement issued by Kenny Kunene, July 1 2013

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