Scandal Embroils South Africa’s Self-Styled Party of the Poor
- Economic Freedom Fighters leaders implicated in VBS looting
- Opposition woes bode well for ruling African National Congress
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The top leaders of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters, famous for abrasive politics and brawling in parliament, have become embroiled in a string of scandals that has dented the party’s efforts to portray itself as a voice of the poor ahead of elections in May.
Deputy party leader Floyd Shivambu allegedly secured funds looted from the failed VBS Mutual Bank, a probe commissioned by the central bank and reports by the AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism show. Party president Julius Malema and Shivambu also unduly benefited from municipal vehicle fleet contracts worth 1 billion rand ($69 million), according to another AmaBhungane report. The EFF says there’s no proof its officials did anything wrong.