EFF leader Julius Malema. (Leon Sadiki/Getty Images)
EFF leader Julius Malema has condemned the violence between his party supporters and the ANC that led to the shooting death of a nine-year-old girl in the Juju Valley informal settlement in Seshego, Limpopo, on Sunday.
Speaking to media on the sidelines of his visit to Seshego, Malema insisted it was an isolated incident.
He denied speculation about tensions between the EFF and other political organisations in Seshego.
This was despite chaotic scenes unfolding on social media, with community members wearing EFF and ANC T-shirts throwing objects at each other.
He said the unrest occurred when the ANC disrupted an EFF football tournament, but he disputed that EFF supporters were provoked by ANC supporters, saying the EFF should never be easily provoked.
“They must have the highest level of political tolerance. We have been working with organisations and communities that even if it is perceived as provocative behaviour, they must act with restraint at all costs. We must restrain ourselves,” he said.
Police said in a statement this week that the incident is being investigated as an attempted murder.
He claimed one of the gunmen had links to Polokwane's ANC mayor, John Mpe.
“The mayor's bodyguards were not allowed to fire their guns either. The role of a bodyguard is not to shoot people, but to protect the mayor. When protecting the mayor, if they hear gunshots they must retreat with the mayor, not charge,” he said, describing this as gang activity.
The EFF is planning to hold a Tsela Thupa rally this weekend in a final attempt to get out the vote ahead of the May 29 elections.
He hinted that the ANC had tried to sabotage the party's plans, saying a meeting between former ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe and traditional leaders took place at Peter Mokaba Stadium despite being handed over to the EFF.
“When we were busy building the stage and preparing for the EFF in that stadium, Kagalema was having a meeting there. This is another provocation because handing over the stadium to us means making it safe and ensuring that no one comes to plant anything illicit in the stadium.
“The same week the ANC went there, the city government acted as if they didn't know. [ANC] “We were going there. They were playing politics. So we accepted. We didn't have any problems,” he said.
He said despite this “provocation” by the ANC, its leaders continued to insist that their supporters must act with restraint.
Malema handed over the house to elderly couple Rakgoula Jacob and Raesecha Ramagolo, who opened the front door for the first time.
The couple became emotional and cried as they thanked the EFF leader, with Ms Ramakhola breaking down as she described their former home being destroyed.
Addressing residents in the area, Malema said the EFF had handed over the disability-friendly home to the elderly couple, who would retain full ownership of the home.
He then visited Morlengu Secondary School near his Ramagoro home to hand over a well. He promised to help fund the tertiary education of students who excelled in mathematics and science, telling local residents that this was not an election ploy but a sign of his commitment to the community.
Malema also opened a soup kitchen in the area and called on people to donate food and clothing to help the poor.
Malema has been touring the country in recent weeks in an attempt to demonstrate his party's ability to govern the country ahead of highly anticipated elections.
The EFF wants to overtake the Democratic Alliance to become the second largest party in the country, which means it needs to significantly increase its supporters nationally and across its nine provinces.
To realise his ambitions, Malema wants to improve his party's vote share in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The EFF is currently the second largest political party in Limpopo. Intra-party fighting has threatened its position in the province, which led the party to sack its previous provincial leadership after the 2021 elections.
The latest poll by global market research firm Ipsos suggests the EFF could win 11.5% of the national vote.
