Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema warned President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday that the Phala Phala farm scandal would remain a live political issue for as long as the opposition party held seats in Parliament.
Malema delivered the warning during a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, where members of Parliament debated Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered last week.
"Let me reassure you, Mr President: as long as the EFF is alive and in Parliament, Phalaphala will never die," Malema said.
The EFF leader accused Ramaphosa of lacking transparency, pointing to the president's handling of campaign financing documents. "When you assumed office, you claimed it would be a transparent presidency, then proceeded to sell CR17 documents of your campaign and block investigations on Phalaphala. Where's the transparency?" Malema said.
Malema also accused Ramaphosa of ceding economic sovereignty to foreign capital. "You have auctioned our sovereignty to asset management companies such as BlackRock, which is why you have praised the growth of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange," he said.
The EFF leader criticised Ramaphosa's handling of suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, accusing the president of forming task teams instead of taking direct accountability measures.
On foreign policy, Malema urged Ramaphosa to close the Israeli embassy, saying the president had already declared its representative persona non grata and should go further. He also called on Ramaphosa to stand firm against pressure from the United States administration over South Africa's Expropriation Act.
The SONA debate continues on Wednesday. Ramaphosa is expected to reply on Thursday at 1400 local time.
The Phala Phala scandal, which emerged in 2022, involves allegations that large sums of foreign currency were hidden at Ramaphosa's game farm. The matter is pending before the Constitutional Court.
