Floyd Shivambu ‘has never shown me any sign of disrespect’ – Malema

Malema

Cape Town – EFF leader Julius Malema says he is “ruthless” against those who conspire against him.

Malema said this on Thursday, as honoured his deputy Floyd Shivambu, whom he said has never “disrespected” him.

He said if Shivambu ever wanted him to step down, he should be honest and open about it instead of organising against him secretly.

Malema was speaking at the EFF’s 10th-anniversary birthday dinner.

“Not a single day did I feel that Floyd is in the business of trying to betray me. He has never [shown] me any sign of disrespect,” said Malema.

“He has always shown maximum respect to me and always shared his views with me. There has never been a day where I felt Floyd and I will not see each other the following day.

“We have always looked forward to seeing each other, to exchange ideas.

“But there’s something boring about him. Every time we drink, he waits until he gets sharp and then isolates me to a corner and wants to sharpen some idea he thinks I didn’t hear properly, and that time I’m focused on dancing, even when I don’t know how to dance.

“We complement each other, we are not in competition with each other. And I have made itvery  clear to Floyd, ‘the day you get tired of me, don’t go and organise against me, just tell me, ‘I think you have served your term, it is time to go’.”

“I will leave without putting up a fight because I will know it comes from a good place”.

“The problem starts when you organise against me and I hear it in the corners. I am very ruthless against such people who organise things against me, so never try that with me.

“And he knows that because I have never lost a conference in my entire life and no one I have supported has ever lost a conference.

“[I] am very ruthless to people who organise things against me.”

Among the guests at the event, where it cost up to R1.2 million to rub shoulders with Malema, was controversial tobacco tycoon Adriano Mazzotti and his business partner, Mohamed Sayed.

Malema praised Mazzotti, saying his party was not ashamed to be associated with him.

“It has been a journey of unbroken struggle and we felt it was important to invite those in the business community and key stakeholders to engage the leadership of the EFF, reflect and plan the future.

“Seated here is a man called Adriano Mazzotti. He gave us money on the day we launched the EFF. When the IEC asked us to pay the money, Floyd [Shivambu] and I had nothing.

“We looked at each other in the eyes and said what is going to happen? That time they asked for R650 000 and we had no means.

“Later to be told through a telephone call, Mazzotti has got a very unique voice: ‘Brother, the money is paid’, then we knew we’re good to go.

“That is how the EFF was allowed to contest the first election in 2014,” said Malema.

He also took a jab at those who questioned the R1.2m price tag for the platinum table at the gala dinner.

“There was a story when we issued the first advert that we are selling tables and Malema’s table was selling for R1.2m,” he said.

“In a sarcastic way, the media asked ‘Who would buy a table to sit with Malema’? For those who’ve got an ear and access to them, tell them Malema’s table was sold three times more than we had expected.

“This has confirmed to me and my colleagues that we have some brave and emerging black businesspeople who are not scared of the establishment. We are challenging the establishment and saying no-one is going to dictate to us as to how we spend our resources.”

The fundraising gala dinner sold tables as an opportunity for business people and the public to interact with the leadership of the EFF.

Malema said that the EFF was committed to achieving economic freedom and denied claims that the party’s policies were hostile to business interests.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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