Firebrand EFF leader Julius Malema has lashed out at the way Africans are perceived when talking about white or Indian racism, calling some black reporters who are critical of his party “house n****rs”. 

Addressing a crowd after a brief appearance in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Malema defended his comments that the majority of Indian people are racist, as well those by his deputy Floyd Shivambu about Treasury’s Deputy Director General Ismail Momoniat. 

He specifically aimed his comments at those critical of “when we speak in Parliament against Momoniat”.

“You know why [they are critical], because [they believe] Africans can’t think unless they have something to hide. That’s how they view us, including these journalists, who are Indian, who are white, and including some of the house n****rs.

He added that Indians said black people were being used by whites to attack them, and that when they spoke out against white racism they were then being used by “this or that and all of that”. 

“They think you can’t think until you are given something, because [they believe] Africans can’t think. It’s an insult that we as Africans should unite against…

“Let’s not be scared, let’s not be demoralised. Let’s become more resolute; let’s become more determined to fight against the oppression of black people in general and Africans in particular.”

City Press reported that at the EFF’s Youth Day celebrations earlier in June, Malema characterised the majority of Indians as being racist, saying that their disdain for black people was unmistakable.

“I want to give you two examples of why I say the majority of Indians are racist: If you check the marriage rate between Indians and Africans, it is extremely low. Africans and Indians do not marry each other because the majority of those Indians see us as subhuman.”

On Monday, Malema maintained his stance. 

“We said [the] majority of Indians are racist. They were all screaming, but they are now coming back one-by-one, sobering up and confirming exactly what the EFF is saying – that indeed the majority of Indians are racist. We did not say all Indians.”

‘You were oppressed better than us’

Describing what he called the hypocrisy of South Africa, Malema compared his comments to those of former Constitutional Court Judge Zak Yacoob, who said that at least 90% of Indians that he had come across were racist.

“When it is said by an Indian – because of racism – it is accepted and allowed,” said Malema. 

“Julius Malema comes and repeats after an Indian, [and people say]: ‘No you can repeat the things that must be said by Indians only, because you are an African, you are of a lower class.’

“That’s the problem we are dealing with in this country – it is truth when told by a white person, it is truth when it is told by an Indian person, but if it’s told by a person of a lower class, it’s unacceptable.”

The EFF leader told the crowd not to be apologetic when fighting for Africans, because they were the most oppressed.

“I’m not fighting with Indians. I am saying to them that you were oppressed better than us – you had water; you had electricity, you had tar roads, you had Indian schools, you had shops, you had all sorts of things. You were in closer proximity to white people.”

“We did not have anything.

“So when we talk liberation, we can’t do it at the same time and say both Africans and Indians must be elevated at the same time. When we say let’s go up at the same time, Indians will always be ahead, because they are ahead already.”

Earlier in June, the EFF and Shivambu came under fire for comments made in a committee meeting, where Shivambu questioned the presence of Momoniat.

Shivambu reportedly asked why Momoniat attended finance oversight committee meetings, and allegedly accused him of having a superiority complex which did not allow him to take orders from African seniors.

Malema’s case in Newcastle concerns him allegedly calling on EFF supporters in 2016 to invade unoccupied land. 

Underworld ties

The case against Malema has been postponed to February 25, 2019. The EFF is currently seeking to challenge the constitutionality of the Trespassing Act.

An application by the party to challenge the constitutionality of the Riotous Assemblies Act was removed from the court roll by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria in April. 

In April, News24 reported that lobby group AfriForum, led by its private prosecution head advocate Gerrie Nel, had announced that it would pursue charges of fraud and corruption against the firebrand politician. 

Malema initially faced these charges in relation to a R52m contract awarded to On-Point Engineering.

The State previously alleged that Malema substantially benefited from the tender payment to On-Point, using it to buy a farm and a Mercedes-Benz.

It said Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust was an indirect shareholder in On-Point. The case was struck off the roll in 2015, after one of his co-accused fell ill and the case dragged on.

Nel said in April that the case had subsequently remained closed and that AfriForum would apply to the National Prosecuting Authority for a certificate to privately prosecute Malema. 

NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said at the time that the authority was expected to make a decision on that case in August. 

In October, the EFF confirmed to Radio 702 that it had received R200 000 from alleged self-confessed tobacco smuggler Adriano Mazzotti, ahead of the party registering in the 2014 general elections.

Spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndozi told the station that the party was not aware of his underworld ties at the time. 

The best-selling book by Jacques Pauw, The President’s Keepers, detailed how Mazzotti apparently funded Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s campaign to become ANC president. She eventually lost out to Cyril Ramaphosa at the ANC’s December conference.

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