Useless police and thugs to blame for EFF members dying - Malema

21 June 2016 - 18:42 By Neo Goba

EFF leader Julius Malema says violence that erupted at the ANC-aligned Sethokga Hostel in Tembisa is not linked to any political party."Those people are not from the ANC‚ they are not from any political party. They are just criminals who practise some unfounded foreign psychology‚" said Malema. He was speaking at the Tembisa police station where he and the EFF entourage demanded answers from the police heads on the progress of the cases that were opened into assaults on its members during election campaigns.Earlier on Tuesday afternoon‚ Malema visited the hot spot where two EFF members were killed during an election campaign in May. "We are not going to be subjected to some backwardness‚ they are just criminals who must be acted upon."The suspicions that they are ANC people [is not true] they are not ANC people‚ they are just thugs who think they can control the (Sethokga Hostel) by force and why? Because it has become lawless‚" said Malema.Malema also lost his temper with Tembisa police‚ telling the cluster commander "You are useless‚ people are dying here".The EFF leader and his entourage including journalists and some metro police officers‚ were locked into a section of the hostel when a group of men carrying sjamboks and pangas threatened to assault EFF members for campaigning in the area. The defiant red beret leader still went into the hostel but ended up surrendering after the situation escalated.Hasan Variawa‚ a Media 24 intern‚ was attacked by the crowd that prevented the red berets from entering the hostel.Police had to fire warning shots to disperse the crowd.Earlier on Tuesday‚ Malema visited the families of Tsietsi Mothibe‚ 56‚ and Kenny Matjamane‚ promising to build them new houses after the election. The two died in hospital a few weeks after being attacked while campaigning for the party. Mothibe was in ICU for several weeks while Matjamane was left in a coma for over a month.About 40 EFF members were injured after being ambushed‚ while campaigning at Sethokga Hostel on the East Rand on May 15.EFF supporters were also beaten up on April 18. Six people were injured.During the visit‚ Malema also promised the families of the deceased members that he would put pressure on the police to bring the culprits to book."We promise you as the EFF to put pressure on the police to make an arrest because if we don't‚ the case will not go anywhere‚"said Malema...

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