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ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu "hates bullies" and he thinks the EFF is bullying Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to "hide their own shenanigans".
READ: Here is the EFF's 'evidence' on Gordhan's daughter - and why their claims are bogus
"Let me put it on record: I just hate bullies. I hated apartheid bullies and I hated the apartheid army. When anybody stands up to bully anyone, you know, it takes one back to those days," he said at a press conference on Thursday when he was asked about the EFF's recent attacks on Gordhan, which he condemned in a series of tweets.
"That's why I will not keep quiet when someone is bullied. I stand by my tweets."
Ever since the EFF's ties to the looting of the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank was exposed, it has been in full attack mode.
And it's Gordhan, who testified before the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture this week, who bore the brunt of their vitriol of late.
"The worst part, they even attack the daughter of Comrade Pravin!" Mthembu said, in reference to the EFF's allegations that Gordhan's daughter Anisha benefited from state contracts. Gordhan denied these allegations, and a News24 investigation showed it to be baseless.
"That's a new low."
"I still think these bullies are trying to hide their own shenanigans," he said.
"It is just anti-ANC to sit back when your own member, your own leader, is being butchered by bullies called the EFF."
This week, Daily Maverick unearthed further details of how money allegedly flowed from VBS to a company run by EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu's brother, Brian, called Sgameka Trading and from there to another company called Mahuna Investments, owned by the cousin of EFF leader Julius Malema, Matsobane Phaleng.
Mthembu tweeted a link to the article, in which he said DA chief whip John Steenhuisen was correct when he called the EFF "VBS looters", which set of the hostilities in Parliament two weeks ago.
EFF MP and national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi responded to Mthembu on Twitter: "Your investigative journalist proved nothing! Offered no proof whatsoever that EFF got any money from VBS! We have asked her to share such information & she has not. But to satisfy diversion efforts from holding Pravin accountable, you keep returning to VBS. We are undeterred!"
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