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Johannesburg – The EFF could be driven to take up arms against “state violence” just like the ANC did when it embarked on an armed struggle in the 1960s, party leader Julius Malema said yesterday.
“If they (the ANC government) are fighting, we will fight, with everything we have. We’re fighting the state violence. The state violence will be met with violence,” he told full hall of professionals and opinion formers at Daily Maverick’s The Gathering in Midrand.
The ANC was the “most peaceful” organisation until it could no longer tolerate the violence of apartheid. He denied he was putting the lives of his supporters at risk.
“I’m putting my life at risk, believe it. I’ll do it myself,” he said.
Malema denied inciting violence amongst his supporters.
“You think they’re gullible, you think they’re empty heads. That’s how you view black people. That’s wrong. That’s what we’re subjected to. When you say you’ll take a gun in defence of your revolution, people say you’re spreading violence.”
Malema said if President Jacob Zuma “is going to beat me up, I (won’t) fold my arms like that.”
“There’s not any violence that can be attributed to the EFF,” he said, in reference to the ANC’s infighting about positions for candidates on the August 3 local government election lists.
Malema said ANC treasurer general Zweli Mkhize, who spoke earlier, “comes from a most violent organisation who shoot and kill each other for positions”.
He repeated the assertions he made at the party’s manifesto launch in April that the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) “stole” the 2014 elections in Alexandra on the ANC’s behalf. He claimed he had to drive from Polokwane on that day to “accept” the results and prevent his supporters from protesting.
The IEC has cautioned against Malema’s assertions, saying they are untrue.
“We mustn’t take up arms to self-destruct because the enemy will set us up to self-destruct,” Malema said.
“We will take over this government and there’ll not be a single drop of blood under my instruction. But if we’re fought, the members will say we’ve fought for far too long now.”
Malema said earlier this year the EFF was prepared to take power through the barrel of a gun, News24 reported. The ANC laid charges of high treason against the EFF in response.
Malema said he wanted to crush white privilege, but that “Afrikaners” who successfully built white suburbs should be brought back to mentor young black apprentices. – Sapa
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo