Mzwanele Manyi’s contention that passing the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment (Fica) Bill will mean that “ANC will be broke” shows that the party “is funded on ill-gotten gains”‚ the EFF said.

EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi also said the “attempt by Manyi to hijack the Fica Bill to try and solve the Guptas problems of closed bank accounts is a clear demonstration of desperation”.

Manyi‚ speaking as president of the Progressive Professionals Forum‚ on Wednesday vowed to take President Jacob Zuma to court if he signs the bill into law‚ telling Parliament the legislation would scare off backers and donors and when the 2019 national elections come around‚ the ANC will be “as broke as hell”.

Zuma returned the bill to Parliament last year‚ citing concerns that a clause allowing for searches without a warrant was unconstitutional because it limited the right to privacy.

Ndlozi on Friday said the EFF “believes that the Fica Bill is a step in the right direction in the fight against massive financial crimes and illicit financial flows that define South Africa”.

“For a very long time‚ South Africa has been a playground of financial criminals who are involved in money laundering and many other instances of illicit financial flows without consequences‚” he added.

Ndlozi said Manyi had contended that “the bill criminalises black people”‚ but the “majority of companies‚ particularly multinational corporations across all sectors‚ that are party to financial crimes are not owned by black people‚ but are owned by a group of few white males”.

“To further say that‚ due to Fica Bill‚ the ANC will be broke‚ Manyi is unconsciously confirming a view that the ANC is funded on ill-gotten gains and people are stealing from the poor to fund ANC billion-rand campaigns and secret propaganda war rooms‚” he said.

The latter was a reference to reports that emerged this week that alleged the ANC had set up a covert campaign to boost itself and degrade opposition parties. The ANC distanced itself from the campaign‚ which was run by media personality Shaka Sisulu.

Ndlozi took aim at Manyi’s support of the politically connected Gupta family‚ saying: “Banks must adhere to the law regardless of the individuals’ concerns and bring to the attention of the relevant authorities cases where there is reasonable suspicion of financial crimes.”

Manyi has been crtical of the major banks’ decision to cease doing business with Gupta-owned busnesses.

Ndlozi also said “Zuma’s concerns about the constitutionality provisions relating to warrant-less searchers in the of the bill is unfounded and all legal opinions has found that the concerns are baseless and have no legal standing‚ and that the bill is in fact constitutional”.

The committee heard two legal opinions this week that said the bill would pass constitutional muster.