Guests started to arrive on Saturday morning as the Economic Freedom Fighters' fourth birthday celebrations began to build in Durban.
Throngs of EFF supporters flooded into the grounds of Durban's Curries Fountain‚ setting the field awash with red as a crowd of nearly 5‚000 party faithful‚ among them several hundred children‚ took their place in front of a large stage as bus loads of supporters continued to arrive from regions across the province.
EFF commander-in-chief Julius Malema is expected to deliver a keynote address at the full-day event.
This as a significant police force‚ comprising of Public Order Policing Unit members and eThekwini Metro riot police‚ monitored the crowd. A water cannon‚ typically used for crowd control‚ was also on standby.
The party has spent the week traversing Durban and KwaZulu-Natal as it drummed up support ahead of the Saturday's celebrations. Not only did leadership meet with students - a core support base - but a visit was also paid to King Goodwill Zwelithini.