EFF actions amount to thuggery and Malema is to blame
7 September 2020
The behaviour that some EFF supporters demonstrated toward the Clicks franchise group today, including acts of looting, arson and vandalism, comes down to nothing but thuggery. The leader of the EFF, Julius Malema, must be held personally accountable for this seeing as he incited his supporters on social media to "attack" these outlets.
In his tweets that were also published by the media (EWN 7 September 2020), Malema says, among other things, the following: "See you tomorrow. Fellow fighters and ground forces; ATTACK!!!”.
It is abundantly clear that Malema incited public violence and, therefore, he is complicit in his supporters' actions and the damage they caused. Throwing petrol bombs at stores, as was the case in Witbank, Mpumalanga, borders on terrorism and the strictest action must be taken against this kind of conduct.
The leader of the FF Plus (Dr Pieter Groenewald) is calling on the Clicks Group to lodge a criminal complaint against the perpetrators and against Julius Malema as accessory. The EFF as organisation and Malema must be held accountable for all the damage that was caused and civil claims must also be lodged against them.
South Africa cannot afford to have differences of opinion resolved in this manner. If the EFF had acted in an honourable manner and had taken up the matter with Clicks and had officially objected to the advertisement in question, the party would have set a good example of how to act when differences arise.
Today's events, however, border on anarchy and if everyone in South Africa tries to settle their disputes in this way, without facing any consequences, it will cause total chaos and anarchy, which will only lead to more violence and polarisation.
One of the biggest problems in South Africa is that criminals who are supposed to be criminally prosecuted, get away with their criminality too easily and continue committing offences with impunity.
An example must be made of the EFF and its behaviour today. If nothing happens, law-abiding citizens will lose even more faith in the country's criminal justice system and its ability to protect them.
The FF Plus is also calling on the police to take decisive action and to arrest people who are involved in public violence and cause damage to property.
Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 7 September 2020
