Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader and Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie has fired shots at EFF leader Julius Malema, comparing their criminal pasts in a recent Facebook Live session.
McKenzie, a former convicted bank robber, claimed he and Malema have something in common—both have been accused of robbing banks, though in different ways.
“We’re Both Bank Robbers”
“Do you know what Malema and I have in common? We are both bank robbers,” McKenzie said. “I used to rob banks with guns; he robbed VBS Bank.”
The comment references allegations that Malema and EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu benefited from the looting of the now-collapsed VBS Mutual Bank, where millions were allegedly siphoned for personal use.
McKenzie also questioned Malema’s wealth, asking how he could afford his lavish lifestyle on a politician’s salary.
EFF in the “ICU”
The PA leader didn’t stop there, taking further digs at the EFF. “The EFF is in the ICU, waiting for the day the machine is switched off,” he said. “Malema is like an old auntie who just gossips—he doesn’t talk about policies or what his party will do.”
From Prison to Politics
McKenzie, who served seven years in prison for armed robbery before turning his life around, has been open about his criminal past. He and his longtime associate Kenny Kunene, whom he met in prison, later built business empires before entering politics.
Now a cabinet minister in the Government of National Unity, McKenzie used the Facebook Live to also announce that his protégé, Liam Jacobs, would replace Kunene as Gauteng’s MMC for Transport.
Malema and the EFF have yet to respond to McKenzie’s remarks.