By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
EFF leader Julius Malema has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government for deploying soldiers to the streets to resolve the civilian unrest that gripped the country.
An irate Malema was speaking during the party’s 8th anniversary on Monday.
He accused Ramaphosa of threatening civilians with soldiers, Malema said this was a clear sign that the government has no “legitimacy” among its people.
“You have admitted unwittingly that you’re an illegitimate leader when you deployed soldiers on civilian matters. A brave leader would be among his people. Let them insult you, let them tell you all the problems they have, and you must commit to solving those problems,” Malema said.
The EFF leader stressed what happened in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng two weeks ago was not an insurrection or attempt to topple the government.
“Anyone who suggests that what transpired in South Africa two weeks ago is an insurrection is a charlatan. An opportunist, liars who’ve substituted their brains with hot air,” he added.
Malema also spoke boastfully of the EFF’s achievements in the past eight years. He said the party had shaken up politic, not only in South Africa but the rest of the African continent.
The EFF had like-minded parties in countries like Zimbabwe and Namibia, Malema said, which underlined the urgent need for the economic emancipation of the African continent.
Other notable achievements from the party, according to its leader, was bringing to the fore the urgent discussion on expropriation of land without compensation.
Malema said the EFF had also changed how black people saw themselves when confronting racist situations.
He said the party had grown since its founding in 2014, having obtained 1.2 million votes compared to close to 2 million votes in the 2019 general elections.