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Julius Malema has described the removal of the Democratic Alliance’s Athol Trollip as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro as a statement in opposition to the “white arrogance of the white-dominated Democratic Alliance”.
Malema addressed the media at the Economic Freedom Fighters’ headquarters this afternoon.
He said the decision was not made overnight but that a series of actions by the DA influenced it.
This included the party’s refusal to vote for expropriation of land without compensation.
“In essence, the white-dominated DA is rejecting the sharing of land that was taken through a crime against the humanity of black people.”
Malema added that the DA had been conducting business in the metros without paying mind to the coalition government.
“As if they won the elections with an absolute majority. They do not consult other parties and have neglected black communities in the delivery of services.”
Malema also drew comparisons between the DA and the ANC.
“We had many meetings with black African councillors in the DA in the Eastern Cape, who are disgruntled with how Trollip treats them. I said to Mmusi: Remove this guy yourselves and save the DA. He refused. Trollip treats DA Africans in the same way Pravin Gordhan treats Africans in the ANC.”
Malema said the attitude of the DA was consistent in other provinces where it governed.
“The same arrogance is seen in the Tshwane Metro where the white caucus of the DA conducts itself as if they too possess an absolute majority, when in fact they possess absolute arrogance. South Africans do not want leaders who are not humble. The reality is that arrogance is no longer welcome in South Africa, whether you won with an absolute majority like Jacob Zuma, or you are in a coalition like Athol Trollip.”
While criticising the DA’s leadership he added that Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba had shown tolerance and a collective effort in his leadership.
If the DA voted to remove Mashaba the EFF would not vote for his removal because he “works very well with everybody, he consults, he makes his views very clearly, he gets persuaded”.
Malema said coalition governance could work but maintained that the EFF was ready to take on any party for re-election in the Nelson Mandela Bay or Tshwane Metro “including in the national general elections across the country”.
He denied that the EFF had not been doing well in by-elections – the EFF had been winning in wards, he said.
“The ANC instead has been losing its 70% position to 50.8% or so ... Ramaphoria clearly is not working.”
He also warned that what happened to Trollip would also happen to Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga.
READ: Msimanga pleads ignorance of scandal
MultiChoice and Newzroom Afrika deal
When asked about the announcement by MultiChoice on the selection of Newszroom Afrika as the producer of the 24-hour news channel to be broadcast on DStv, Malema said he was still going through the documents and would need to call a special media briefing.
The Newzroom Afrika announcement was made by MultiChoice’s Yolisa Phahle at a press briefing earlier today.
The new channel replaced the Mzwanele Manyi-owned Afro Worldview (previously known as ANN7).
“We may need to call a special press conference for the MultiChoice issue or even get a parliamentary committee to deal with the issue because of the evidence we have seen against these people. They were not number one. We need to be told why they jumped to number one ... Who knows these people... Who has a cosy relationship with these people? Which is also unprofessional ... We will deal with it, don’t worry we will deal with it.
“We will ask questions and we must get answers. We had the similar problem with the Guptas – we just had a group mushrooming from nowhere and later it was realised ‘no man this is not just a group, these are ANC fellows’, so we will deal with it on an appropriate platform.”
