By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for an unprecedented national shutdown to demand the country back from what it calls an incompetent and directionless government.
Addressing the media earlier on Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema said the ANC is no better than a criminal syndicate adding that South Africans can no longer fold their arms as the unemployment rate, crime, and the cost of living continues to spiral.
Malema said the party, together with other organisations, will make demands to end load shedding, the reduction of fuel prices to 2018 rates and the immediate arrest of Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala farm saga.
He said the EFF wanted the entire Eskom board to resign, as well as Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, COO Jan Oberholzer, and for the utility’s senior managers to be fired.
Malema said the crisis facing Eskom was a result of a broader plan to stifle the company to such an extent that it was entirely reliant on independent power producers.
He provided no evidence for this, but also blamed “Western forces”, including the UK, for trying to cripple the state-owned company.
The EFF will also form part of all the progressive formations and the organisations in South Africa to plan and engage a national shutdown, which will seek to remove Cyril Ramaphosa from office. The nature of the character of our national shutdown will not be a candle holding and white flags type of a shutdown. It will be a shutdown that must communicate to the sitting government that, enough is enough.
The EFF, according to Malema, would be approaching the courts to force the SA Revenue Services (SARS) and the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) to investigate Ramaphosa regarding the Phala Phala matter.
So far, the Hawks have been investigating the Phala Phala case, which was opened by the former director-general at State Security Agency.
Malema’s calls for a shutdown comes as south africa is still limping from the ecomimic and social blows of last years july riots.
Meanwhile motorists in and around Johannesburg CBD are advised to avoid some streets on Friday due to a planned march to the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters.
According to spokesperson for the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), Xola Fihla, the streets to be affected include Eloff Street, Ntemi Piliso Street and Pritchard.
The march is set to commence at 10am from Gandhi Square along Rissik street, lead into Fox street before heading into Pixley Ka Seme street towards Luthuli House.
The march is part of a series of rolling mass action, calling for among others, Ramaphosa to step down as well as the continuous rising cost of living.