JOHANNESBURG, February 6 (ANA) – The Economic Freedom Fighters in Gauteng on Saturday warned that the politically-connected Guptas’ safety in Gauteng cannot be guaranteed and threatened to drive them out of the province and the country.
“Our message is simple, the Guptas, otherwise known as the Zuptas must heed the call of the commander in chief of the EFF [Julius Malema] and vacate South Africa, otherwise, the predictability of what could happen to them and any of their properties, becomes a highly volatile matter. No one can guarantee their safety in this Gauteng,” EFF provincial spokesman Ntobeng Ntobeng said.
“We are sick and tired of massaging the cheap and thug-like egos of counter revolutionary neo-capital tendencies of the likes of the Zuptas.
“In short, we are going to physically drive the Zuptas out of our province by any means possible; they cannot have their headquarters in this province any longer. We will mobilise all our branches, especially in the Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, and Tshwane where we suspect their major activities are based. At this time we only wish to advise them to start sorting out visas…” Ntobeng said.
At a media conference in Johannesburg on Friday, Malema said the EFF had banned Gupta family-owned media outlets from attending any of its events and media briefings and also demanded that the family leave South Africa.
“We are tired of talking about the Guptas… this is a battle against the Gupta family. The family is controlling this country, they have colonised South Africa,” Malema told reporters.
“The New Age newspaper and TV channel ANN7 are banned from our events from now on. This is not tempering with media freedom… the Guptas are not about media, they’re about propaganda. It is a machinery of corruption, a cartel and a mafia.
“We cannot guarantee the safety of Gupta employees at our events… we are warning you peacefully here, brothers and sisters.”
The EFF will march to the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, where they will take Zuma on over the Nkandla matter, even though he has indicated that he is ready to pay for non-security upgrades at his private residence, which the state paid for under the guise of improving security on the property.
“On the 9th of February, let us go to the street to fight the Zuptas [Zuma and the Guptas]. Zuma must fall, the Guptas must fall and ANC must fall. We are not scared of Zuma or the executive… the only thing we are scared of is the constitution of this country.”
According to weekend reports, Zuma’s closest political allies had broken ranks with him over his close ties to the influential Guptas.
Although there had long been whispers about the family’s close ties to Zuma and some of his ministers, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the SA Communist Party (SACP) leaders went public with their growing irritation at the influence the Guptas were said to have on some leaders.
“We declare war against the Guptas and their businesses… and when we declare war we fight to the bitter end,” said Malema on Friday.
– African News Agency (ANA)
