/ 1 July 2013

Kenny Kunene leaves ‘life of sushi’ to join Malema’s EFF

Kenny Kunene Leaves 'life Of Sushi' To Join Malema's Eff

Just over a week after issuing an open letter to President Jacob Zuma, in which Kunene called Zuma a "monster" and a "tyrant", the flashy businessperson has announced his move into politics.

Kunene on Monday issued the statement via the IOL website "declaring his [Kunene's] membership of the Economic Freedom Fighters movement and has invited like-minded South Africans to join him". 

Kunene said that he has "taken the decision to be part of a collective – working hard and tirelessly to give birth to the Economic Freedom Fighters movement  – in order to not only take on the challenges facing the poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable, but to show the ANC that it's not just me who feels the way I do. Millions of others do too, and their votes will make that much clearer than anything I could write in a letter," Kunene said.

"I am like Paul, who used to be Saul, but saw the light on his way to Damascus. The life of sushi and my army of women I put behind me. I see this as a challenge and a blessing that God has given me to have so many followers to make sure I contribute to the development of young people.

He said: "I am now going full-time into politics as a member and a revolutionary cadre of the Economic Freedom Fighters movement to make it a force to be reckoned with and to contest the next election. Why this movement? The answer is that the majority of people I have interacted with are telling me we need an alternative voice in this country that will be revolutionary."

"The formation of the Economic Freedom Fighters movement is therefore not the decision of Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu or Kenny Kunene. It is the better, alternative voice of South Africans who are fed up with living without hope that things will ever change for the better.

"I therefore invite all South Africans who are tired of being lied to, manipulated and treated with arrogance to join the only revolutionary party in this country," said Kunene.

'Disappointed with the ANC'
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Former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, the head of the Economic Freedom Fighter movement, announced his return to politics on June 11 despite legal and financial woes.

In a press statement released at the time, Malema said the ANC could never provide a sustainable solution to the country's developmental problems and condemned both the alliance partners and the opposition parties as ineffectual.

In the open letter, Kunene said: "In public you smile and laugh, but in truth you behave like a monster, a tyrant who will target perceived enemies ruthlessly, and because of that fear few dare to speak openly."

Kunene wrote that he supported Zuma before he ascended to the presidency, but was now disillusioned with his leadership.

"I'm writing this because I've never been more disappointed with the ANC you lead … Mr President, I don't want to be one of those who tell you in fear that you have clothes on, when it's obvious you are completely exposed," the open letter read, referencing the fairy tale The Emperor's New Clothes.

Kunene's statement on Monday touched on the ANC's response to the letter, saying: "Their [the ANC's] response didn't deal with any of the issues and just made it worse when you consider they wrote about the unauthorised landing of a 'helicopter' at Waterkloof, when surely everyone knows by now it was a passenger plane from India."

Five days after issuing the open letter to Zuma, the ANC accused Kunene of using cheap publicity stunts to further his "questionable" political ambitions by hurling insults at its leaders.

"It has now become clear that we are dealing with an individual of dubious character, with no political mores or basic decency, intent on harming the ANC and its leadership with impunity," ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement on June 25.

'My many perceived failings'
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The Star reported the next day that Kunene had, in an interview on Kaya FM the night before, reiterated his assertion that Zuma was a disloyal tyrant and a monster.

In Kunene's statement on Monday, he responded to the ANC, saying: "Gwede went on Kaya [FM] the same day to deny it and instead of discussing my concerns, he discussed me and told South Africa all about my many perceived failings – but nothing he said was news to anyone, and he said nothing that I have not said myself, and been even more open about. The fact is that personally attacking the people who criticise you can't make the criticisms they may have about you disappear.

"Many open letters were also, in return, written to me. Most of them chose the route of insulting me, but about my complaints there remains a deafening silence." – Additional reporting by Sapa