Former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Thembinkosi Rawula, who alleged Julius Malema confessed to receiving funds from the looted VBS, is set to join ActionSA.

The party's Eastern Cape leader, Athol Trollip, is expected to announce Rawula as a member on Monday, News24 has been reliably informed by party insiders. 

On Friday, ActionSA said it expected to welcome a new member to its ranks who was an "outspoken member of the opposition". 

Rawula shot to fame with a Facebook post in 2019, wherein he alleged Malema and his deputy, Floyd Shivambu, were using EFF finances for their own benefit. 

He claimed in the post the two leaders used the party as their piggy bank and refused to account for its financial statements and records. 

In the now-deleted post, Rawula said Malema had confessed to EFF members, who form part of the central command, he did benefit from funds looted from VBS. 

Following the post, a string of legal cases ensued.

Malema filed a lawsuit demanding Rawula apologise, and in addition, he should be slapped with an R1-million defamation charge for his allegations.

Rawula, who left the EFF in April 2019 after the post, refused to apologise and defended himself in court. 

He made a compelling argument to the High Court in Gqeberha that he had good reason for making the allegation despite no evidence to support his claims.

The court also found his standing in the party, as part of the EFF's 30-member central command team, had some weight. 

Malema appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) and lost in an order issued in 2021. 

The SCA said Rawula "had established a sustainable foundation by way of evidence that a defence of truth and public interest or fair comment was available to be pursued".

Rawula joined the EFF at its founding in 2013 and was responsible for labour and trade union relations. 

He has a history in the labour union sector and worked as a labour coordinator for the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa before joining the EFF.

His decision to join ActionSA may surprise political commentators, given his history in labour and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba's unwavering support of free markets, loosened labour laws and wariness about the power of unions.

Rawula's decision to join the party comes ahead of the 2024 elections and as political parties, including ActionSA, finalise lists of their nominated representatives. 

News24 understands from insiders close to the party Trollip, who previously served as a DA MP, has no interest in being deployed to the provincial legislature should the party win a seat in the Eastern Cape. 

Rawula may take up this position if the party decides on this.

Trollip is interested in returning to Parliament, this time for ActionSA, if the party manages to garner seats in the 2024 elections. 

There was speculation former DA Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga would be selected as the recruit for ActionSA. 

But the former DA leader, who served with Trollip when they were both DA members, was seen as a liability and not a win, News24 was told by ActionSA insiders.

Bhanga was dismissed from the DA in June after he called Helen Zille a racist in a widely viewed Facebook post.