Malema lashes out at ANC for ‘tactics to retain power’ ahead of local elections
The party made its announcements about its readiness to head to the polls during a media briefing on Wednesday.
JOHANNESBURG - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has lashed out at the government for what it calls the African National Congress (ANC)’s tactics to retain power ahead of the upcoming local government elections.
The party made its announcements about its readiness to head to the polls during a media briefing on Wednesday.
It also said governments stringent lockdown regulations and its deployment of the defence force had hindered the freeness and fairness of the polls.
The party confirmed it submitted its candidate nomination lists and will be contesting the local government elections scheduled for 27 October.
WATCH: Malema on local elections: "eThekwini is ours"
While this date has been proclaimed by government, the IEC has, however, approached the Constitutional Court seeking a postponement to February next year. The apex court has yet to rule on the matter.
EFF leader Julius Malema said his party intended to flout lockdown restrictions in order to campaign for the local government elections and announced he would be hosting a gathering at its new Johannesburg headquarters to launch the party’s manifesto.
“There’s no longer a lockdown for the EFF. Lockdown criminals who want to sneak their party back through the backdoor while telling us not to campaign.”
Malema also criticised the government for a failed peacekeeping mission and demanded that the government recall soldiers deployed following the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
He 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: What lockdown? We are done. We have registered candidates. We are campaigning now. #EFFPresser
Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 25, 2021
MALEMA: On the 26th of September on Winnie Mandelas birthday, we are opening our office there. That is where we will be launching our manifesto. #EFFPresser
Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 25, 2021
MALEMA: There is no lockdown that is going to tell us to do anything. We are back to the streets. The next campaign is that one of sleeping outside the house of Helen Reece. We are going there. #EFFPresser
Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 25, 2021
MALEMA: We are busy. We are not going to listen to fools. We have no time for fools who dont know what they are doing. This government doesnt know what its doing. #EFFPresser
Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 25, 2021
MALEMA: So, 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. No policeman, no minister, no one can tell us not to hold our RPAs. #EFFPresser
Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 25, 2021
MALEMA: We must be very clear. We are dealing with a criminal syndicate here, which is not honorable, which is running the government and state through the mafia style. #EFFPresser
Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 25, 2021
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