Helen Zille slams Malema for hosting ‘super-spreader’ EFF Youth Day rally

DA federal council chair Helen Zille has slammed EFF leader Julius Malema for hosting and addressing a Youth Day rally, saying it is indicative of his defiance of the local government elections set to take place later this year. 

Some attendees did not adequately follow Covid-19 safety precautions. They were seen without masks and not social distancing. Zille claimed this was Malema's strategy to get the elections postponed. 

“We all know that Malema does not want an October election. The IEC has said the only reason for postponing the election would be if rampant Covid-19 runs out of control. So Julius holds super-spreader rallies, as he did today. This is a transparent strategy to postpone elections,” Zille tweeted on Wednesday. 

Last week Malema said campaigning amid the pandemic was impossible and called for the postponement of elections until it is safe for political parties to conduct door-to-door campaigns and interact with voters.  

The Electoral Commission (IEC) last month appointed former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke to conduct an independent review into whether the Covid-19 pandemic will allow for free and fair elections and whether they should continue as planned. 

Moseneke will consult several stakeholders including political parties for his report.

Last week, commission chairperson Glen Mashinini said the IEC is technically ready for the elections and that it is of the view that they must go ahead as planned. He said the IEC arrived at this conclusion after consultation with health and disaster authorities and assessing several countries around the world who have successfully held elections during the pandemic. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced earlier this year that SA will hold local government elections on October 27.