Malema election blitzkrieg disrupted as EFF supporters pelted with stones

28 May 2016 - 17:48 By Bongani Mthethwa
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Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema’s local government election blitzkrieg in KwaZulu-Natal was marred on Saturday when his red army was pelted with stones by hostile ANC supporters.

Police had to form a human shield to separate ANC supporters and EFF supporters who had converged at the Esikhaleni shopping mall in Empangeni on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast to listen to Malema.

But a minute into his speech‚ a crowd of ANC supporters who had gathered at a monument commemorating its members killed during political violence in the 1980s started hurling stones at the EFF supporters and the stage where Malema was speaking.

Journalists had to run for cover while police used rubber bullets to disperse the ANC supporters. An ANC supporter was arrested a short while later for carrying a firearm. One EFF supporter was also hit with a stick by an ANC supporter‚ but no serious injuries were reported.

A defiant Malema continued to deliver his speech amid a tense standoff between his supporters and ANC supporters who watched from across the road while singing struggle songs as the police kept a close watch between the two groups.

Before Malema’s arrival‚ the ANC supporters sang an insulting song “Hlala kahle Malema itotolozi iyavela” which loosely translated means his genitals were exposed.

Malema‚ who was referred to as the “incoming president of the country” by EFF national spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi‚ told his supporters that whether the ANC liked it or not‚ his party was going to campaign in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Whether they like it or not we’re here. Whether Zuma likes it or not‚ we’re here. KZN is the home of the EFF.

There will never be a no-go area for the EFF. The EFF is unstoppable. The EFF exists in every corner of South Africa‚” he said.

He urged his supporters to defeat the ANC in the polls.

“We’re not scared of these cowards whether they disrupt us or not. We’re going to meet them on August 3. We’re going to take this municipality‚” he said.

The EFF leader accused President Jacob Zuma and the ANC of being corrupt and urged his supporters to not fight ANC supporters “physically” but to “punish them with the cross”.

“Fighters let us not entertain these criminals. They are scared of the EFF. How do you throw stones at innocent people at a taxi rank? If they are not scared let them open this area for free elections‚” said Malema.

Malema also accused the ANC in the province of ousting former Premier Senzo Mchunu because “he was refusing to be corrupt”.

“That’s why they promoted Willies Mchunu. Willies Mchunu takes instructions from [ANC provincial chairman] Sihle Zikalala.”

Referring to the ANC as “these dogs” Malema said the ANC was following the EFF everywhere it went.

“Everytime they call a rally we don’t go to them. We can’t go to a dead dog because it smells bad. We are the future and that’s why they follow us‚” he said.

He called Zuma a “blesser” by enriching his family and referred to his nephew Khulubuse Zuma as “walking corruption”.

But ANC’s Musa Dladla regional chairwoman Nohle Mkhulisi said party supporters had disrupted the EFF gathering because they had no permission to hold a rally at the shopping mall.

She said if it was true that ANC supporters had pelted EFF supporters with stones‚ “we can’t be happy about that”.

She denied that the ANC supporters had gathered there to disrupt the EFF but to protect their monument.

After his campaign in Empangeni‚ Malema took his election blitzkrieg to the ANC stronghold of Groutville which is the home of former ANC leader Inkosi Albert Luthuli.

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