WATCH | Julius Malema tells parliament: 'I'm in charge ... I've got you by the scrotum'

EFF leader Julius Malema has claimed victory over the government, saying his party's national shutdown was a resounding success.

Speaking during a sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, Malema cited the closure of a number of businesses in different cities as an indication that the shutdown was a success.

“The EFF proved once more who is in charge in this country. When you said to business, ‘it’s business as usual, open your shops, I said close: they closed’.

“I’m in charge, I’ve got you by the scrotum. There is nothing you can do, nothing, all of you combined.  You can scream anyhow you want, once more I demonstrated to you; black opposition, white opposition with the ruling party combined, I’m in charge and I want that to sink,” said Malema.

He thanked those who participated in the countrywide protest on Monday, saying it marked one of the greatest national demonstrations post-1994 wherein thousands of people registered their dissatisfaction with load-shedding, unemployment, of crime, gender-based violence and lack of service delivery.

“Many of you affirmed the authority of the EFF to be superior to that of the president of South Africa and his entire cabinet combined by partaking in the shutdown because you cannot trust anything he and his government says,” he said.

“The majority of business remained closed, taxi ranks and buses were empty, no trains or trucks were moving on the day and even load-shedding was suspended due to low electricity demand, proving that major industries that use electricity were not operational,” said Malema.

He said the success and moral correctness of the national shutdown was proved by the fact that no-one was able to dispute its logic.  He accused the media and government of attempting to divert and dilute its message by creating a myth of anarchy and destruction.

The shutdown saw the government deploy thousands of police officers and soldiers to quell any violence or intimidation.

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