By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has demanded that the government recall soldiers deployed to quell unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
“The EFF is concerned by the growing militarisation of South Africa and repeats that it is only an illegitimate government that depends on soldiers to protect them from the masses,” the party leader told journalists at a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
Malema cautioned that having boots on the ground in the run-up to elections was unconstitutional, labelling the deployment an intimidation tactic by the ANC to retain power.
Malema has also challenged the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), telling officials to “bring it on” in reference to any potential legal action against him after He sparked debate on social media recently when he shared a message allegedly from a soldier deployed in KwaZulu-Natal pleading for help, and claimed “the army is threatening to withdraw”.
He confirmed that the party had submitted its candidate nomination lists and would be contesting the local government elections scheduled for 27 October.
Malema said his party will get its campaign for the local government elections,underway without adherence to level 3 lockdown regulations, as per the Disaster Management Act.
“We are going to work. We are not working with lockdowns. We are back to work. This weekend, all our outstanding regions are going to hold their RPAs [regional people’s assemblies]. No policeman, no minister, no one can tell us not to hold our RPAs,” said Malema.
“What lockdown? We are done. We have registered candidates. We are campaigning now … There is no longer lockdown for EFF.”
“If we follow those lockdown regulations… That is absolute nonsense we are not going to follow. There is no lockdown that is going to tell us to do anything.”
Judgment has been reserved in the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) application to the Constitutional Court to postpone the local elections. The EFF in its submissions to the Constitutional Court was in support of a postponement.
Malema said the party was going back to the streets to fight socio-economic issues.
He questioned the delays in the distribution of the Sputinik V and Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines and said the party was already planning a march to camp outside the house of the SAHPRA’s chairperson Helen Rees.
The EFF has publicly accused Rees of bias against Chinese and Russian vaccines in favour of Western vaccines.
This prompted the party to stage a march to the headquarters of Sahpra demanding that the body approve the said vaccines.
Meanwhile the firearm discharge trial of Malema scheduled to start in the East London Regional Court on Monday was postponed to next year as the prosecutor recovers from Covid-19.