The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has written a statement declaring the appointment of new CEO Andre de Ruyter “anti-transformation and racist”.

“We are disgusted by the continued obliteration of Africans in key state-owned enterprises,” the party says.

“The appointment of Ruyter [sic] is irrational, shameful, [and] a clear demonstration of deliberate intent to collapse Eskom to rationalise privatisation of South Africa’s most important strategic assets.”

According to the party, De Ruyter’s appointment is “part of a racist projects [sic] led by [Public Enterprises Minister] Pravin Gordhan to undermine Africans”.

The statement continues to make several similar allegations against Gordhan, including that the “only time he is comfortable appointing Africans is when he puts them in a position of permanent juniority [sic] and treats them like his lap dogs”.

It also accuses him of “alleged corruption”.

The full statement can be read below.

The statement echoes sentiments expressed by the EFF’s about its main nemesis Gordhan, as well as Eskom, before.

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The party has long accused Gordhan of working with President Cyril Ramaphosa to privatise the struggling energy utility against the wishes of the unions.

The statement’s attacks on Gordhan are similar to those that got them dragged by the minister to the Equality Court on hate speech charges, which were dismissed.

Outside the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture, where Gordhan was testifying, EFF leader Julius Malema branded the minister a “dog of white monopoly capital”.

He also said the EFF must get “ready for war” against Gordhan, who he also accused of having “removed all black excellence” from state-owned enterprises as he “hates Africans”.

The minister was accused by Malema of being part of a “cabal” that had “destroyed all good African comrades” in the United Democratic Movement.

The court ruled that while the comments were “indeed hateful”, the minister’s legal team failed to prove that they violated the Equality Act and thereby constituted hate speech.

This ruling appears to have emboldened the party.

Moments after the Equality Court dismissed the hate speech application, EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi took to Twitter to reiterate that in his view Gordhan was “a dog of white monopoly capital”.

EFF Statement on the Anti-Transformation Appointment of Eskom New CEO. pic.twitter.com/xfOHZkP0zx — Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 18, 2019

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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