Laundering charge is plot to silence me, insists ANC outcast

Published on 27/09/2012 00:00

Firebrand South African politician Julius Malema proclaimed his innocence yesterday after he appeared in court and said a money laundering charge against him was a political plot to silence his criticism of the president.

Malema is the most prominent critic of South African president Jacob Zuma and was expelled from the ANC party earlier this year for sowing
disunity.

The former youth league leader has encouraged the strikes in South Africa’s mining industry, and has threatened to make the mines ungovernable.

“I have nothing to hide. I’ve never been part of criminal activity,” Malema said to a crowd of supporters outside the court building after he made his
appearance and was bailed. “They have nothing against me … They are wasting time.”

Malema said he was told he would face charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering, but once in court he was told he had only been charged on one count of money laundering. Nevertheless, Malema could face a maximum fine of 100 million rand (£7.5 million) and up to 30 years in prison.

Malema was charged in connection with a 52 million rand government contract awarded to a company that is partly-owned by his family trust.

McIntosh Polela, spokesman for the Hawks special unit of the South African police which brought the charge against Malema, said investigations have been ongoing for a year, and charges were brought as soon as the investigation concluded. He dismissed Malema’s accusations that the charges were politically motivated.

“It’s a very romantic perception to suggest that we have been sent by politicians,” Mr Polela said. “The reality is less appealing and very boring; we are only doing our work.”

He said that Malema was charged for nearly 4.5 million rand that was put into the Ratananga trust to his benefit from a company that was paid for road work in the Limpopo province.

Malema used his speech outside the court to lash out at Mr Zuma.

“You must make sure that Jacob Zuma does not become the president of the ANC,” Malema said, speaking of Mr Zuma’s bid to be re-elected the party president later this year. “We must remove him as president and then charge him.”

The ANC in a statement said that it “noted with concern the accusation by the ANC in Limpopo and the ANC Youth League that state agencies are used to fight political battles in the wake of charges against Malema and others.

“We reject this accusation with contempt, as it is misleading and seeking to undermine the rule of law and jurisprudence of the country,” it said, adding that the president and the ANC’s leadership had no role in the charges against Malema.

Daniel Silke, an independent political analyst in South Africa, said that Malema was using the lesser charge to his advantage.

“The fact that he escaped on a relatively light bail amount following this morning has been seen by Malema as a victory and he has used the lighter charge sheet against him for his own political ends and to further raise his profile as an opponent against Zuma and proponent of economic transformation within South Africa,” he said.

Malema said that he would travel to Rustenburg, North West Province, today to support striking miners.