THE AFRICAN National Congress Youth League came to the defence of its embattled leader, Julius Malema, yesterday, insisting a trust fund allegedly used to pay for his extravagant lifestyle was rather used to support charities.
South Africa's City Pressnewspaper had reported on Sunday that the "secret" Ratanang Family Trust, which was registered in 2008 shortly after he was first elected as the league's president, was used "by the youth leader and his benefactors" to fund his lifestyle.
“Thousands of rands” are deposited into the account on a regular basis, according to the report, which quoted two “independent, well-placed sources with knowledge of Malema’s financial dealings”.
The article, which Mr Malema attempted to have suppressed by the courts on Saturday, reportedly because it would ruin his reputation, went on to say that "frequent deposits are being made from different banks, especially in Limpopo [province, where Malema is from]". City Presssaid the youth league leader had denied the trust, named after his five-year-old son, was used to launder funds elicited in return for political influence, but he "declined to divulge its purpose or bank balance".
The allegations prompted the predominately white interest group Afriforum to open a corruption case against Mr Malema, who continuously claims to represent South Africa’s poorest citizens. The country’s largest union federation, Cosatu, has also called for him to be investigated, as have opposition parties.
“If a person’s lifestyle is disappropriate to a known income, then it warrants an investigation. We want police to have a look at it,” Afriforum chief executive Kallie Kriel told reporters on Sunday.
The ANC, however, defended Mr Malema following the article’s publication, saying his “private life remains private”.
At a press conference yesterday, youth league secretary general Sindiso Magaqa said Mr Malema was being targeted by a white right-wing media because he is pushing for the nationalisation of mines and land expropriation without compensation.
Mr Magaqa said the trust was no secret and was used for various charitable causes. “The trust is registered with the master of the high court and its public.”
Mr Malema’s lifestyle has repeatedly come under the spotlight over the past year and only last week he was asked to explain how he could afford to build a new 16 million rand (€1.6 million) house in an exclusive Johannesburg suburb. He refused to address the issue satisfactorily, saying because he was not an elected public representative his finances were not anybody’s business.