Weekend Thing: EFF's VBS financial warren mapped out

[Click here for the web version of this email]( [Daily Maverick]( Saturday, 24 November 2018 Sis, man “I don’t lie Sisi, I stand by what I said in the press conference.” Julius Malema In sum Last week, when Scorpio [revealed]( a bombshell report showing links between the EFF's Floyd Shivambu and now-pillaged VBS bank, the red jumpsuited chiefs went into full damage control. Denials were issued, reporters mocked, and a general torrent of Twitter bots and fake news trolls waged an apocalyptic war of propaganda against anything remotely Daily Maverick-related. This week, however, Scorpio's [Pauli Van Wyk revealed her findings]( into the linkages. Rather than vindicate the EFF, they appeared even more compromised than initially thought. Mahuna Matata What a wonderful phrase for the EFF, it turned out. Through a series of third-party entities, both Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu benefited from VBS. Malema, in a stunning display of ironic hypocrisy, was able to finance a pool upgrade at his personal residence. Albeit smaller than Jacob's fire-preventing one, the paper trail described a whole host of payments through the EFF's spiderwebs from cousins and shell companies alike. It's a complicated network, but worthy of your Saturday to sit down, have a cup of strong coffee, and read through the [whole sordid mess.]( Why should you care? The details matter. And they will begin to matter even more in the weeks that follow. The EFF has been spooling up its dangerous fake news army, railing against the media, Pravin Gordhan, and even the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. Scorpio's investigations will ultimately provide a critical girder against the EFF"s narrative of denial and ad hominem attacks. Elections are coming, and the EFF's tainted reputation will only further agitate their PR strategy leading up to it. [This weekend we're watching]( Not every gun-toting American veteran is a Trump-lovin' xenophobe. Black Rifle Coffee Company's new video series helps to highlight the good that comes from soldiers in arms. Members only 36 The number of members in South Africa's current cabinet. More ruffle than shuffle On Thursday a flurry of activity hit the news cycle as President Cyril Ramaphosa was set for an "important" announcement at 3pm. Another Cabinet shuffle was on cards. With both Nhlanhla Nene and Malusi Gigaba both 'voluntarily' out of their ministerial positions due to Gupta-taint, the reshuffling was expected to extra the tumourous masses that had not the common decency to resign themselves. Instead of the expected evictions, however, Ramaphosa revealed an [underwhelming, half-hearted version]( of a Cabinet reshuffle. Merger and perjure Siyabonga Cwele was appointed Minister of Home Affairs, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams took over Telecommunications from Cwele, and Nomvula Mokonyane took over Environmental Affairs. [That would have been it]( had Ramaphosa not added the most important part: a merging of the Communications Department and Posts & Telecommunications ministries. Part of a gradual reduction in the size of government, the collapsing of the two made perfect sense in a rapidly digitising, technologically-driven space. Bathabile Dlamini was still there, despite being a perjurous incompetent while in her previous job as Social Development minister. This may have been a strategic move by the president: to retain some Zuma acolytes as sacrificial lambs in the run-up to elections 2019. What screams "corruption clean-up" better than a good old-fashioned firing just before you vote? — [Well oil be damned]( Finding good news in this day and age is a difficult enterprise. But, thanks to electric vehicles, the demand for oil globally is dropping by several thousand barrels a day, according to Bloomberg. The plummet is so fast, in fact, that economists have called the "top" of the oil-for-cars market to reach a peak in the 2020s, falling off forever thereafter, with luck. — Key Reading [Des Van Rooyen arrived at Treasury with a bunch of unknowns and Trillian’s Mo Bobat in tow]( By Jessica Bezuidenhout Just 12 hours into the job as finance minister, Des Van Rooyen, immediately got down to business by rebuking then National Treasury DG, Lungisa Fuzile, for bothering to try and calm the markets. Currying favour The first Indian restaurant in the UK predates the first fish and chips shop by at least 49 years. [Call for Ombud applications]( The Press Council of South Africa is looking for a new Press Ombud. If you or someone you know is the perfect candidate, [click through]( and get applying. — [Support DAILY MAVERICK & get FREE UBER vouchers]( Not all memberships count points. Some memberships actually count FOR something and have tangible benefits. Maverick Insiders who contribute R150 or more per month, get R100 worth of free UBER vouchers every month. Yes, every month until October 2019. [Click here]( to sign-up. (Added bonus: you’re also now an even better, more mobile, person.) Weekend reading [Mogoeng: Check our budget before judging the judiciary]( [Mogoeng: Check our budget before judging the judiciary]( BY Greg Nicolson [Bo-Kaap residents rise against gentrification]( [Bo-Kaap residents rise against gentrification]( BY Aphiwe Ngalo [Herzlia must apologise for its suppression of debate]( [Herzlia must apologise for its suppression of debate]( BY Saul Musker and Samuel Musker [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( Copyright © 2018 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. 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