ANCYL close ranks over Malema row

'Businessman gave Malema a car in keeping with the communal way of life practised by Africans'

THE ANC Youth League has dared anyone who accuses its leader Julius Malema of being corrupt and abusing his powers to accumulate wealth to approach law enforcement agencies with evidence.

"If there is any wrongdoing on the part of the trust, ANC Youth League president is open and ready for investigations by Sars and any other law enforcement agencies," ANCYL general-secretary Sindiso Magaqa said yesterday.

AfriForum on Sunday opened a case of corruption against Malema after City Press reported that he runs a Ratanang Family Trust, which he uses for, among other things, to receive bribes for tenders and funds from politicians who want his protection.

Malema allegedly received a R1,2 million Range Rover from Matome Hlabioa of MPPJ Property Development, which has won more than R200 million worth of government contracts. But Hlabioa said he gave Malema cars because the youth league leader was like a son to him.

"If there are citizens who believe that there is wrongdoing, they should report such to the law enforcement agencies, all this should never be done to achieve narrow political scores, like some rightwing formations (like AfriForum) have already started," said Magaqa.

Magaqa said the Ratanang Family Trust was not a secret fund and complied with all the legal requirements.

"The Ratanang Family Trust is registered with the master of the high court, the South African Revenue Service and is tax compliant. As far as we are concerned, the master of the high court does not register secret funds and Malema would not have registered as a trustee if the trust was a secret fund."

Magaqa said the family trust had never been a secret.

He said it was openly communicated when Malema opened the church built by money from the trust in 2009.

"On many occasions, Julius Malema had used the trust funds to build houses for poor families, bought school shoes, teaching and learning support materials for poor children across the country."

He said the allegations were an attempt to divert the attention of the ANCYL from the economic struggle.

"The ANC Youth League is fully aware that all these allegations are an attempt to divert our attention from the issues we are raising, particularly the nationalisation of mines and expropriation of land without compensation," he said.

Malema was not present during yesterday's media briefing, and Magaqa said it was "none of the media's business" why he did not attend.

League treasurer Pule Mabe said Hlabioa gave Malema a car in keeping with the communal way of life practised by Africans.

He said Malema might be a public figure "but he is not a public representative, and his private life must be respected".