The ANC Youth League in Limpopo has elected Rudzani Ludere as its new provincial chairperson, spokesperson Che Selane said on Sunday.
Others elected were deputy chairperson Reggie Molokomme, secretary general Jacob Lebogo, deputy secretary general Romeo Mokghothle and treasurer general Kgomotso Kabila Malatji.
The league in the province held its elective conference in Polokwane over the weekend.
However, a parallel conference was held in Seshego, home of suspended national league president Julius Malema, by disbanded branches who were denied entry to the Polokwane conference. They claimed the Limpopo leadership had not listened to their concerns. Seshego is about 10km outside Polokwane.
Selane said the legitimate conference was held in Polokwane.
“We do not know about such a conference [in Seshego]. This is the only conference, and we have already elected new leaders.”
According to South African Broadcasting Corporation reports on Saturday, the Seshego conference elected Boy Mamabola as chairperson of the province’s youth league. Mamabola said this conference would elect a new “preferred” provincial leadership.
He claimed the Seshego conference was legitimate and cast doubt on premier Cassel Mathale’s political future.
Hundreds of league members gathered in the street outside Malema’s home singing struggle songs. The Seshego conference was held less than a kilometre from Malema’s home.
The ANC’s national disciplinary committee suspended Malema from the ANC after he called President Jacob Zuma a dictator. The conditions of the suspension prohibit him from exercising any duty as an ANC member, president of the ANCYL, or member of the Limpopo provincial executive committee.
‘Undemocratic processes’
Despite this Malema addressed delegates of the Seshego conference outside his home on Saturday. He reportedly issued a challenge to those in the ruling party trying to silence him.
“We know that undemocratic processes are those that are intolerant to different views, those that use state power to deal with those that disagree,” Malema said. His comments were broadcast by SABC news.
He said these elements had unleashed state institutions against him and they would do anything to silence him.
“If they want to arrest me, I’ve got an address, they are welcome to come and arrest me,” he said.
Earlier, Malema said he was not breaking the conditions of his suspension by addressing delegates from his home.
“When you visit me here and you want me to engage with you, I do so without any fear or favour because this is my house,” Malema said.
“Because this is my house, there is nobody, no matter how powerful you are, [who will] tell me you can only talk to this visitor and not that visitor.”
Malema told the Seshego delegates that “when you are here, you are not delegates … you are my visitors, you are my friends”.
Tax bill
Meanwhile, City Press reported on Sunday that Malema owes the SA Revenue Service (Sars) more than R10-million.
He had been sent a tax bill of more than R10-million, apparently related to the millions deposited into his Ratanang Family Trust.
“What? That’s not possible,” he told the paper via SMS when asked for comment. He replied again later, saying his accountant said the amount owed was R120-million.
It was not clear how he arrived at R120-million, or whether he was joking, the newspaper reported.
His lawyer Nicqui Galaktiou sent an SMS shortly afterwards: “Disclosure of Mr Malema’s private affairs with Sars is a violation of his right to privacy.”
According to City Press the amount owed included penalties. Money owed is usually due to income not declared or not fully declared.
According to the paper three independent sources confirmed Malema’s tax troubles.
The Sunday Independent reported that several of Malema’s allies had been subpoenaed to appear before a secret judicial inquiry for suspected tax evasion.
The inquiry was reportedly convened after some business people and government officials refused to co-operate with the taxman. Malema, who has not been subpoenaed, told the newspaper he did not know anything about the inquiry.
Advocate Piet PJJ Marais SC would reportedly head the inquiry, a judicial body set up in terms of the Income Tax Act. The order to hold the inquiry was granted last month by president of the High Court in Pretoria, Judge Willem van der Merwe, the newspaper reported.
According to documents in the Sunday Independent‘s possession, Limpopo businessmen linked to 19 companies, who were close to Malema, had been summoned. These companies included SGL Engineering Projects, where Malema was a director, Gwama Properties, and On-Point Engineers, which was co-owned by Malema’s Ratanang family trust.
The Gwangwa Family Trust, linked to businessman and Malema’s associate Lesiba Gwangwa, would also be probed during the inquiry. Gwangwa’s lawyer Mpoyana Ledwaba told the newspaper the businessman had been subpoenaed.
“Our client has always co-operated with the… authorities in the past and there is no reason why he will not co-operate this time around,” Ledwaba told the newspaper.
Another businessman Thomas Rasethaba, younger brother of Sello Rasethaba, a close friend of Malema’s, had also been summoned. According to the report Rasethaba needed to explain why his name appeared in several companies linked to Gwangwa and others.
“I used to run a company that sold shell companies, and I suspect that I might not have been resigned as a director in some of the shell companies I sold,” Rasethaba told the newspaper.
“I intend checking all the records to ensure that I have been resigned.”
Sars spokesperson Adrian Lackay could not immediately be reached for comment. However, he told the paper he could not comment because taxpayers’ affairs were confidential.
According to another report by the Sunday Independent Malema was facing a financial crisis. Although not broke he was experiencing financial hardship. An unnamed source involved in Malema’s finances told the newspaper Malema had scaled down his lavish lifestyle.
“He has sold his Mercedes-Benz and he is now very careful with [spending] money. He is not starving, but he is no longer Raditshelete [moneyman],” the source was quoted as saying. – Sapa