Official feels Juju’s wrath amid levy row

THE EFF has suspended its Mpumalanga secretary after he refused to pay the mandatory party levy to help sustain the EFF, party leader Julius Malema said yesterday.

Malema lambasted party officials who refused to pay the EFF levy and said further action would be taken against them.

Alfred Skosana was suspended after he went to the bank to reverse the levy back to his account after it was deducted, he said.

“The party levy helps the EFF to ensure that the party is not captured by councils, it sustains itself through the party levy.

“If you allow the party to be financed by private donors and not its members, then you’re selling the party to the highest bidder… that is why we are very strict with paying the levy,” Malema told reporters in Joburg after the EFF central command team meeting.

“All of us who are members of councils, legislatures and Parliament pay the levy. The party deducts not less than 15 percent from salaries. There are members who have refused to pay their dues and yet live lavish lifestyles.

“We are going to deal decisively with those who are refusing to pay the levy because that is effectively stealing from the party,” Malema said.

The levies collected were used to repay money borrowed by the party, which demonstrated that the EFF was not funded by anyone except its members, said Malema.

“Our party is supported and financed by its own members, especially those deployed as MPs and at councils and legislatures. There is a narrative that we are funded by people in London and the US. “Why would we take our salaries and finance the EFF if there was too much money from London? There is no such thing.”

Malema said the names of the party officials who have not complied with the instruction to pay the levy would be released this week, as well as the amounts they owed.

Meanwhile, EFF treasurer Magdalene Moonsamy has resigned to focus on her legal practice, the party said yesterday.

Malema said Moonsamy would be replaced by a member of the central command team and MP, Leigh-Ann Mathys. – ANA

He reversed compulsory 15% party levy