EFF disrupts Dialogue Initiative despite promise not to

The Economic Freedom Fighters in the Johannesburg region have disrupted the proceedings at the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative aimed at addressing the country's crises.

The Economic Freedom Fighters in the Johannesburg region have disrupted the proceedings at the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative aimed at addressing the country's crises.

A small group of EFF members went up to the front of the stage holding placards reading "FW de Klerk is a killer"‚ "De Klerk is a serial killer" and "Land our life".

• WATCH: 'Murderer' De Klerk has no right to discuss SA's future, says EFF About 50 members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) arrived at the launch of the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative in Braamfontein to protest against the presence of former president FW de Klerk‚ who left within minutes of their arrival.

Just as Neeshan Balton‚ the head of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation‚ was about to deliver his message of support‚ the EFF members told him to get off the stage.

This followed Balton telling them that what they were doing was incorrect.

• Dialogue series is pro-delivery; the anti-Zuma space is crowded - chairpersonThe founding members of the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative (NFDI) were at pains to explain that the discussions were not part of efforts to fight off President Jacob Zuma.

"I don't know what actually provoked them. All I said was this is an event hosted by a number of foundations and fundamental to this event is free speech‚" said Balton.

He didn't agree with the message the EFF was sending‚ saying that former president De Klerk had been invited as a guest speaker.

"While we may not agree with the former president‚ it doesn't mean that we shouldn't share any public platform in the country and that's the fundamental point I was going to make at the podium‚" he added.

The proceedings came to an end 30 minutes early because the EFF refused to stop chanting songs or allow people to continue speaking.

The FW de Klerk Foundation was contacted for comment on Friday afternoon‚ but declined to do so.