Fire Gigaba, says Malema

Tells president Ramaphosa that finance minister can’t be trusted

EFF LEADER Julius Malema wants new President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba when he tables the State of the Nation address (Sona) this evening. “In Sona, he must announce the removal of the minister of finance,” Malema said.

“This man can not be trusted and he must not deliver the Budget Speech.”

He addressed journalists before Ramaphosa was elected state president yesterday.

Malema said the country could not afford to have another day with Gigaba in the National Treasury.

“We can’t allow our purse to be in the hands of Gigaba, (but) it is up to Cyril,” he said.

Ramaphosa was elected president after former president Jacob Zuma resigned on Wednesday night, ahead of the debate and vote for the EFF-led motion of no confidence.

The EFF did not participate in the election after its bid to have a debate on a dissolution of Parliament failed.

Malema said the Constitutional Court had found that Parliament did not play its role to hold Zuma accountable.

“No one among us can qualify to be a president of South Africa if Zuma does not qualify,” he said, before calling for fresh elections.

Malema said the EFF would not legitimise another faction of the ANC into power.

“Cyril does not qualify to be the president of South Africa. If he thinks so, let him run for elections. Let’s get fresh elections,” he said.

Malema, however, said Ramaphosa’s election was “fine” and that the EFF would still accept it regardless.

“He must know that he is the president of the country that was elected by an illegitimate Parliament. We shall remind him of that all the time,” he added.

Malema said it would not be plain sailing for Ramaphosa.

“Marikana is still waiting,” Malema said, adding that the victims of the Marikana massacre were waiting for compensation.

The EFF has on several occasions said in Parliament that Ramaphosa had blood on his hands for his role in the build-up to the incident that claimed more than 30 lives.

At the time, Ramaphosa was a board member of Lonmin Mines and had asked the authorities to stamp their authority during the strike by the mine workers.

Malema dismissed those who held the view that with Zuma gone, they would no longer hold the executive to account.

He said the EFF’s cardinal pillars did not benefit Zuma, and also warned against viewing the opposition as irrelevant since Ramaphosa was elected as ANC president in December.

“If it was not for the opposition, we would not be where we are.

“If you wish the opposition away, that will be the end of multi-party democracy,” he said.