Malema aligns fighters for last part of election race

With a show of force re-affirming that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a power to be reckoned with, party leader Julius Malema had the last say when his followers filled Peter Mokaba Stadium to capacity to celebrate the EFF’s third anniversary coinciding with the Tshela Thupa rally on Sunday. In saluting a united mass he used the last opportunity for securing or swaying votes in favour of the EFF in today’s (Wednesday) local government elections.
The gathering occurred around the same time as African National Congress (ANC) President Jacob Zuma was addressing supporters in Gauteng during the ruling party’s national Siyanqoba rally.
Judging from visuals taken at Sunday’s EFF rally and the ANC’s provincial Siyanqoba rally two weeks back, attendance figures of EFF supporters filling up the 45 000-seater Peter Mokaba Stadium seemingly surpassed those in support of the ANC.
Malema’s arrival got a jubilant crowd to their feet, chanting in unison almost as if choreographed.

Taking to the podium he stressed the need for change that could only be brought on by the EFF and nobody else. His statement that the ANC was long dead, that they were not burying the ANC and were unveiling the tombstone of the ruling party was accompanied by overwhelming cheers from the crowds.
He went on to say only the EFF could deliver jobs and revive the hope of the hopeless masses. “A better life is coming. Not a better life for a few, but a better life for all South Africans – not the ANC members only.” He yet again emphasised the possibility of free education, posing the question to students struggling to pay fees and buy food they had to conduct self-introspection and ask themselves whether they were electing the right party. “Why are you struggling if a party you have elected can spend R1 billion in three months on an election campaign. They said to you they don’t have money for free education, but the ANC spent more than R1 billion in three months campaigning for the votes. Imagine if they’ve taken that R1 billion and gave it to students at TUT, and gave it to students at Wits, at Unisa, at (University of Venda) Univen, at University of Limpopo. Imagine if they had given that money to all the needy students.”
Malema said they shouldn’t allow their people to be misled by ministers who were blessers, misbehaved when drunk, who didn’t have respect and lacked credibility. Those ministers had to be warned that they had stolen the money of the people for the last time in these elections because during the next election they would not be in power and not be allowed to steal more, he said. According to Malema the EFF hadn’t spent more than R10 million on these elections, he said. Malema saluted his ground forces whom, he said, had fought a good fight without resources. “I am humbled by your commitment. I’m humbled by your fearless character.”

He wished the ANC, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and everybody else contesting for power on Election Day well. “Let us play a fair game. Let us not play the man. Let us play the ball. Let us not kill our people because we have uncontrollable ambition for power. EFF, I want to salute you, because when you elected your councillor candidates there was no single drop of blood. No one was killed because you were fighting for positions. EFF, I want to salute you. You are the only party which has never disrupted a campaign of any other political party. Even when they were beating us up we never responded to violence with violence, because we knew that the power rested in the hands of our people.” Telling his audience that they were the future, he instructed them to teach the ANC and the DA what political tolerance was.

Soon it was time for the leadership to cut the cake befitting the celebration of the birthday of a three-year-old under a blood-red sky blasted with confetti.
Not too long thereafter the stadium started running empty as a red mass hurriedly made their way home to prepare for the last part of a hard race in support of a party driven by a youngster from Seshego.

Story and photos: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com

Featured photo: The arrival of Economic Freedom Fighters Commander-in-Chief (EFF CIC) Julius Malema at Peter Mokaba Stadium is captured on big screens in the background. He entered the stadium to a warm welcome by a jubilant mass of followers who, by then, have waited hours to see their leader in action.