EFF contributes R6m to Solidarity Fund, demands others provide proof of pledges and contributions

Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters Julius Malema. Picture: Rodger Bosch/Pool Photo via AP/African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters Julius Malema. Picture: Rodger Bosch/Pool Photo via AP/African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Published May 8, 2020

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Johannesburg - The EFF says it has contributed R6 million towards the Solidarity Fund and has challenged others who had pledged towards the fund to produce proof of their promised contributions.

The party announced its contribution on Friday and has also attached a bank statement from Standard Bank as proof of payment.

The contributions from the party come from a pledge made by party leader Julius Malema in March that all EFF public representatives would be contributing a third of the salaries towards the Solidarity Fund.

The party said it hopes the funds will be used as intended, to provide personal protective equipment for the health care sector and assisting communities in need during the Covid-19 pandemic. The party said it also wants to see the fund do business with black-owned companies.

Another challenge the red berets have thrown is at companies that had previously pledged that they would be making donations to the Solidarity Fund. The party wants companies such as Vodacom, Dischem, Sanlam, Naspers, to publicly prove that they had indeed made contributions to the fund.

It has also challenged businessmen such Patrice Motsepe and the Oppenheimers and Rupert families to provide public proof of their contributions.

The party also wants President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet members to provide proof of their contributions. Ramaphosa had said that he along with his cabinet would be contributing 33% of their salaries for three months towards the Solidarity Fund. The DA had promised to donate R1.5 million and the EFF also wants proof of that promised contribution.

"The EFF believes anyone who cannot produce these proofs of payment has effectively lied or misled society for public relations purposes. There is indeed too much grandstanding in our country which must be exposed by demands for proof/evidence," the party said.

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