EFF leader Julius Malema has warned that the party will bring South Africa to a standstill next month when they embark on a planned national shutdown despite opposition to the mass action.
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Speaking at the organisation’s plenum in Cape Town on Saturday, the EFF leader said that his party did not need permission to embark on the shutdown.
“Fighters, the militancy and protest character of the EFF, the fearless character, the ground forces of the EFF, your determination to liberate the people of South Africa is going to be seen on March 20 when you bring South Africa to a standstill,” he said.
According to Malema, provincial delegates should identify which road, shopping complex and city they would occupy on that day.
“On 20 March there is no work or school. No trucks will be moving,” he said.
“South Africa must come to a standstill. We must challenge white monopoly capital and we must show them we (do) not need a permit from the Ruperts and Oppenheimers, or from the ANC and (ANC secretary-general Fikile) Mbalula, who says people must go to school and children to work,” Malema said.
He added that there would also be no schooling or work during the shutdown.
“It is going to come to a standstill. That is what the EFF is going to show, mass power.”
“The Western Cape cannot be a failure. You are not going to fail. Remember we are not to start at 8am.”
“March 20 starts at midnight … by the time people wake up, everything is happening.”
When President Cyril Ramaphosa took the institution to the Constitutional Court over the Phala Phala scandal, the EFF objected to President Ramaphosa speaking to Parliament during last week’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“Politically, I fundamentally disagree with him (Ramaphosa). That should (not) be confused for personal attack.”
“There is nothing personal against President Ramaphosa. Personally, he is a very good guy.”
However, he added that his issue with Ramaphosa was that he did nothing while at the helm of the country, as he insisted that the president had promised jobs, which he had not delivered.
He further denied that EFF MPs were going to attack Ramaphosa when they climbed on to the stage and disrupted his SONA.
“I got to the stage to protect and hold a placard. They say I am a danger to the president … I was going to stand on the stage with a placard and allow Ramaphosa to speak and also speak through my placard, a silent peaceful protest,” he said.
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Picture: EFFWesternCape_ / Twitter