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Plane tickets show Kunene funded EFF

ONCE FRIENDS: Kenny Kunene and EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu have fallen out and the businessman is no longer a member of the EFF Photo: Tshepo Kekana
ONCE FRIENDS: Kenny Kunene and EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu have fallen out and the businessman is no longer a member of the EFF Photo: Tshepo Kekana

SUSHI king Kenny Kunene and his business partner Gayton McKenzie have bankrolled Economic Freedom Fighters leaders despite vehement denials by its leaders.

Sowetan has seen electronic copies of business class airplane tickets for a round trip from Johannesburg to Durban for Julius Malema which Kunene paid for. Malema made the EFF business trip in July 2013.

Kunene also bought new tyres for EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu's BMW 7 series which cost him about R10000.

The revelations of Malema and Shivambu being financially bankrolled by the two were contained in an open letter penned by McKenzie two weeks ago.

But the EFF leaders denied benefiting and Shivambu wrote his own open letter challenging Kunene and McKenzie to present proof that they had come to the financial rescue of the EFF leaders and had paid money to the party.

Kunene, McKenzie, Malema and Shivambu were once close but have since fallen out.

Kunene was a member of the EFF before the party's official launch but McKenzie has never joined the party. When Kunene quit the EFF months before the 2014 national elections, the two formed their own political party, the Patriotic Alliance - which contested elections only in Western Cape.

Sowetan saw text messages in which Shivambu sent his banking details to Kunene, a member of the EFF at the time. The EFF deputy president later thanked Kunene and McKenzie "very much".

A Johannesburg mechanic, Garren Schuurman, told Sowetan he fitted two new tyres on Shivambu's car in July 2013.

He said: "We fitted two tyres on the white 7 Series and Kenny himself was there. They [the tyres] were to the value of plus-minus R10000."

Kunene travelled with Malema on the Durban trip. Kunene confirmed he paid for Malema's two flights in question and claimed he also paid for Malema's accommodation in Durban.

He said he did not air the EFF's dirty linen in public because the leaders asked him not to.

"We sponsored them with other things too. For example, there was a time when Floyd said they needed T-shirts for an event in Soweto and asked Gayton to call him back because he did not have airtime.

"It's my money and also Gayton's money, we sponsored them with over R300000. There were other things like petrol and accommodation. I even bought their girlfriends things when they could not afford to.

"We would also give money to [Mpho] Ramakatsa because he was the hardest-working leader in the movement, when Julius and Floyd were at my house drinking my expensive whiskey with girls," Kunene said.

Shivambu refused to comment, saying: "Chief, I am done with that. Please call me about something else."

Malema distanced himself from Shivambu's open letter.

"I do not want to get involved. Go to Floyd, I am asking you not to involve me."

mashotol@sowetan.co.za

 

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