#EFFinSenekal | SA weighs in on Malema's calls to gather in Senekal

EFF leader Julius Malema had the social media streets talking after his interview with Newzroom Afrika on Thursday.

In the interview, the EFF leader elaborated on his calls for the party's “ground forces” to attend the court case in Senekal, Free State, on Friday where two men will appear for the second time for the murder of farm manager Brendin Horner.

Asked to convey a message of support to the bereaved family, Malema said: “Well, we send messages of support and condolences to all victims of murder in SA, including the farm manager. There is nothing in our law called farm murder. Murder is murder, it is criminality and should be attended to as such.”

He maintained the party's stance that the group is heading to Senekal to defend public property and democracy, and not in defense of the alleged criminals.

“A criminal must rot in jail, once found guilty. We have no interest of people who go around killing innocent people, particularly civilians who are trying to make an honest living. So we really are not going to Senekal to sympathise with a thug. We are going there to defend our democracy, our constitution, which is under threat.”

Tensions have been high in Senekal since last week, when violent scenes broke out after the court appearance of the two suspects. After the matter was postponed, angry protesters demanded entry to the police cells.

A police van was overturned and set alight during protest action outside the court.

Malema condemned the violence which he said threatened the judiciary.

“People fight in court, people beat each other in court. It is two individuals of friction confronting one another, it is a heated space, we understand that. But you cannot threaten the judiciary and say 'bring this person to us, we want to finish off this person.'

“When the judiciary says he must go back to the cells, you follow him to the cells against the wishes of the judiciary.”

Many were in agreement with Malema's views, particularly his response to whether an independent unit to deal with farm attacks should be established.

“If we must create a special unit, then it must be for the women and children that are being murdered every day in SA,” he said.

Here are some of the reactions:

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