EFF statement on Ramaphosa incompetency at handling Covid-19 and uprising in KZN and Gauteng
12 July 2021
The EFF has observed the complete incompetence and uselessness of Matamela Ramaphosa, in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread uprisings that have resulted in violence and looting in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng.
Matamela has exhibited his weakness in that he has been unable to handle protests that stem from factional warfare within his own political party, and have now turned into rolling mass-actions by thousands of poor South Africans.
At no single moment has he attempted to engage the masses of people he purports to lead within his own political party and the people he claims to be a President of. Instead, he continues with his dictatorial tendencies, of adjusting when South Africans can sleep, suppressing political dissent and running the country behind a television screen.
The lack of science in the entire approach towards COVID-19 is further proven on the insistence of this government to hold Local Government Elections despite closing the political space two-months before elections.
To attempt to hold voter registration in two-weeks time when there is no evidence of a reprieve in infections and deaths, is an exercise of suppressing political opponents in order to retain power. This is made worse by the fact that the Independent Electoral Commission is yet to conclude its inquiry into the feasibility of free and fair elections.
No soldiers on our streets! Otherwise, we are joining. All fighters must be ready... they won't kill us all. We need a political solution to a political problem, not soldiers.#NoToSoldiers
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) July 12, 2021
The EFF has consistently maintained that to hold elections requires an open space for campaigning for all political parties, and this has not been a reality that Matamela wants to accept. This will only serve in his favour and proves that COVID-19 has become an opportunity for him to lead without being challenged.
Matamela seems to thrive on a lack of accountability. Instead of providing a comprehensive update on vaccination efforts, and ensuring that all people have access to vaccines regardless of age or a tedious registration process, he has chosen to dictate what ordinary people share on their social media platforms.
It is clear that Matamela is under the impression that he can subject ordinary people on social media to what he has subjected media houses to in this country, which is censorship. He has dictated to media houses what they can and cannot broadcast, but can never instruct us what to share on our social media spaces.
The EFF calls on all people to continue to share what they like without fear or favour, and ignore the calls by a dictator to censor themselves in order to hide the truth about what is happening in the country.
I see white civilians armed and shooting live ammunition at unarmed civilians. Please don't say they started it; but your response will possibly be matched. 😤
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) July 12, 2021
Instead of engaging the hunger of people displayed over the past couple of days, critiques of the judiciary and protests of those who elected him, Matamela has chosen to send police and characterise desperate citizens as criminals, in the same way he did in Marikana.
He has been unable to handle the prevailing pandemic and his failure to do so has resulted in constant lockdown regulations that are not accompanied by effective socio-economic interventions.
The EFF maintains that the only solution to COVID-19 is a massive roll-out of vaccines and approval of vaccines such as Sputnik-V from Russia, and Cuba's Abdala and Soberana vaccine. Anything outside of that is a waste of time.
Our call for vaccines is not for Johnson & Johnson only, because Matamela seems to think that vaccine is a synonym and translation for this company's vaccine. He mentioned J&J more than three-times in his speech, even going as far as promoting its one-shot administration, presenting himself as a J&J ambassador.
We must therefore deduce from this that the President has been captured by one pharmaceutical company and South Africa's entire vaccination program is dependent on the functionality of the J&J vaccine. This is clear because there seems to only be progress in our vaccination program when this company's vaccine is available.
When there is a slow-down in supply of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines in South Africa, our entire vaccination program slows down. This means that should Johnson and Johnson shutdown, South Africa will have no vaccination program. This is emphasised by the fact that he said nothing significant about the recently approved Coronavac vaccine from China, or any other vaccines.
We further call for decisive political intervention in the crisis confronting the country, namely in the form of increased unemployment grants, social grants, payment holidays for homes, cars and personal loans.
War declared on civilians
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) July 12, 2021
We call for the leadership of the country to engage in peace-making efforts in Kwa-Zulu Natal primarily.
The situation in Kwa-Zulu Natal requires stakeholder engagements at a ground-level, not self-centred addresses on television where no questions are allowed.
Without this, the country must expect protests to spread and continue, as the hunger of our people will not disappear because of empty condemnations from individuals who are detached from reality.
Issued by the EFF, 12 July 2021
