By Akani Nkuna
EFF leader Julius Malema says that April 27th signifies not Freedom Day, but a stark reminder of the compromises made by the liberators in 1994.
He said that these compromises have left the poorest of the poor without dignity and true freedom, amidst ongoing poverty, unemployment, and social injustice.
Speaking to supporters on Sunday, Freedom Day, Malema questioned the nation’s progress since 1994 and condemned the current Government of National Unity’s (GNU) handling of the budget crisis.
“What kind of Freedom do we have, where there a children raising other children in shacks, not knowing where their next meal is going to come from,” Malema told his supporters.
“Why do you call yourselves free South Africa, when you do not have land, when you do not have jobs, when you have pit toilets, when you are not safe in the streets because criminals have taken over our lives?”
Malema said that true freedom remains elusive, with many young people trapped in unemployment, alcohol, and drug abuse.
He questioned the quality of freedom in a country where parents fear for their children’s safety at school, citing the persistent threat of sexual abuse by those entrusted to educate them.
He also raised concerns about the budget crisis, stressing that no country can function without a budget.
Malema noted that in many parts of the world, such a failure would prompt early elections.
“Without a budget, there can be no allocation of money for your children’s schools, for textbooks, feeding schemes, or the eradication of pit toilets. Without a budget, there can be no money for clinics, hospitals, nurses, doctors, or critical medication to save lives,” Malema said.
Malema added that without a budget, government workers cannot be paid, roads and collapsing infrastructure cannot be repaired, and economic growth and job creation become impossible.
He criticised the media and markets for backing what he called the “ANC-DA GNU coalition,” claiming it would bring stability, yet three months later, the GNU remains without a budget and, in his view, illegitimate.
“We call on the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, to tender his resignation. He has become a disgrace and is clearly incapable of leading that ministry or managing the financial future of our country,” said Malema.
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