ANC Youth League president Julius Malema on Wednesday claimed he was a private member of the public and as such could not be expected to volunteer information about his finances to anyone that asked.
‘I am a private person and not bound to be investigated like publicly elected officials,” he said.
Malema was holding forth at a press briefing in Johannesburg, following allegations that he was having a house worth R16-million built in Sandton.
The report prompted the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) to call on the South African Revenue Services (Sars) to undertake a lifestyle audit on Malema.
On Wednesday, the youth league president condemned the allegations surrounding the house’s construction, deriding them as baseless, racist and misleading.
‘These claims are not only false, but the most pathetic way to mislead the public and readers of the press. These allegations come from white right-wingers who never want to see a black person living in a proper house,” Malema said.
Malema asserts the reports originated from a conspiracy within business circles, aimed at undermining the league’s calls for drastic changes to the economy.
The youth league wants the government to nationalise mines and appropriate arable farming land without compensation.
‘I have told our leaders to be careful — Capital (sic) is mobilising everyone to undermine the agenda of the league. The press and big business are there and even the DA seeks to defend those who benefitted from the economics of apartheid,” Malema said.
‘None of your business’
When quizzed by journalists about how he affords his apparent lavish lifestyle, Malema flatly refused to give details of his expenses and earnings.
‘Under no circumstances may I disclose my salary to a third party — this is a condition in my contract with the ANC. I am in business but I am not going to disclose that — it is none of your business,” Malema said.
Malema also called on SARS or any other government institutions to carry out investigations into his finances should they find the need to do so.
‘Sars has access to our bank accounts all the time and if there was anything wrong they would have acted already. If they decide to undertake investigations into anybody, the youth league will support that,” he said.
Malema also claimed his finances were not related in any way to government or public funds, suggesting allegations to the contrary were figments of the media’s imagination.
‘I don’t get anything from government and I don’t use taxpayers’ money. Sometimes you think I am that powerful like that but I am not really — I am just a normal person,” Malema said.
‘He must answer’
In response to Malema’s comments, the DA says they will continue to call to on Malema to explain his finances.
The DA’s spokesperson on crime and police matters, Dianne Kohler-Barnard, who lodged a formal request with Sars to investigate Malema’s finances, told the Mail & Guardian the youth leader might not be an elected public official, but he still had a case to answer.
‘I have confirmation of an investigation by Sars and this being a public matter, there needs to be an explanation into how he can claim to earn what he does and still afford a R16-million house,” Kohler-Barnard said.
Sars spokesperson Adrian Lackay said he could comment on any investigations the body might be conducting but assured that the rules were fairly applied in all cases.
‘We can’t divulge any information about a single individual, but we apply the law equally. We receive thousands of complaints annually and investigate the merits of each case and apply the law accordingly,” Lackay said.
‘I know poverty’
Malema has previously come under fire for living in an upmarket Sandton suburb and driving luxury cars, while claiming to represent poverty-stricken South Africans.
When challenged on the contradiction between his comments about poverty and the way he lives, the youth league president was unapologetic.
‘We went to school without shoes and food, we know how painful poverty is and we are part of the pain our people feel. We don’t need a lecture about how to live our lives,” Malema said.
Malema also claimed to be actively fighting capitalism from within the system.
‘I have learnt from a young age the ability to live in conditions of capitalism while fighting the system at the same time,” Malema said.