Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says that rich white men influenced former president Nelson Mandela to deviate from the Freedom Charter – and that black billionaires ‘sold their black skin’ to attain wealth.

Malema was addressing students at Oxford University on 25 November, where he said that deviating from the Freedom Charter under Mandela was “the beginning of selling out of the revolution”.

He was quoted by Business Day as saying that after Mandela was released, he was “looked after” by the billionaire Oppenheimer family, and attended club meetings by white men who “owned the economy”.

“They told him (Mandela) what he represented would not be achieved – that’s when he turned against himself,” said Malema.

Black billionaire sell-outs

Malema said that the EFF wants to do away with BEE, and rather empower workers.

He said its policies would see workers own shares in the companies they work for.

“Don’t give it to individuals, give to more people, the people who are called workers.”

He criticised deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and mining executive Patrice Motsepe for being billionaires, even though they “didn’t invent anything”.

“He (Motsepe) just went to sell his skin. ‘I’m black, I’ve got political connections, I’ll protect your company give me shares.’ Just like Cyril did,” said Malema.

By redistributing wealth to workers, Malema believes this would increase buying power, increase demand, double production, and create jobs.

He said industrial action would be done away with, if workers knew their dividends and returns would be based on their productivity.

Malema said his party would continue fighting to return land to African hands – but said they would not follow the route of Zimbabwe which engaged in violent expropriation of land from white farmers.

He also rejected any form of coalition government with the ANC.

“We will never do that. We want to destroy the ANC arrogance,” he said.

More on Malema

We will shut ‘racist’ Absa down: Malema

Whites – you have been warned: Malema

We will destroy e-tolls physically: Malema

Nationalise Telkom: Malema