Cape Town – Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has issued a stern warning to President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying the Phala Phala scandal “will never die” while the EFF remains in Parliament.
Speaking during a joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, he said” “Let me reassure you Mr president – as long as the EFF is still alive and in this Parliament, Phala Phala will never die.”
President @Julius_S_Malema told Ramaphosa that, as long as the EFF is still alive, the Phala Phala issue will never die. pic.twitter.com/3aIBN2ikop
— Sixolise Gcilishe (@SixoGcilishe) February 17, 2026
Malema accused Ramaphosa of failing to address crime, unemployment, and infrastructure challenges, while allowing state assets to be privatised.
He cited the involvement of asset management firms such as BlackRock and criticised the president’s praise of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) as evidence of selling national sovereignty.
“Mr President, we warned you eight years ago that the Oppenheimers and the Rupperts would neutralise you, and your legacy would be that you auctioned our country and its strategic assets to the highest bidder. You did not heed our warning,” Malema said.
WATCH | EFF’s Julius Malema says, “President, you have auctioned our country by selling our ports, railway, our energy generation capacity to the private sector and now you want to do the same with water.” pic.twitter.com/5WuQ9FmtBN
— SABC News (@SABCNews) February 17, 2026
“You have auctioned our sovereignty to asset management companies such as BlackRock, which is why you have praise for the growth of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).”
Malema also questioned the government’s approach to crime, highlighting the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to Gauteng and the Western Cape as a sign of law enforcement failure.
WATCH | EFF’s Julius Malema criticises President Ramaphosa, saying crime is not under control and the army is being deployed as a last resort. pic.twitter.com/whfccLmUxV
— SABC News (@SABCNews) February 17, 2026
He expressed concern over the military’s capacity to handle domestic crime, given austerity measures and prior international criticisms.
On economic matters, Malema noted that growth projections have fallen short of promises, with the National Treasury predicting 1.5% growth, well below the 3% target set in previous commitments.
The debate on the State of the Nation Address will continue on Wednesday, with Ramaphosa expected to respond on Thursday.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
