‘Censorship’? – Here’s why the EFF’s YouTube channel was ‘banned’

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have slammed the week-long ‘ban’ of their YouTube channel, accusing it of “bias” and “censorship”.

The account was frozen for several days before its restoration this week, with footage from its protest outside the Israeli embassy removed.

The party said its pro-Palestine content had been reported, leading to YouTube requesting its removal.

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“While we have appealed the decision, regrettably, our appeal has been rejected, highlighting the bias and censorship prevalent in platforms that claim to uphold freedom of expression.”

It claimed the action was “not an isolated incident” but part of a bigger campaign to “silence and censor’ those who criticised Israel’s part in the Gaza conflict.

EFF resuming normal programming

The party said it would resume live streaming of its events on its channel, while the latest episode of its podcast would be released next week.

Malema banned from Twitter/ X

In 2021, EFF leader Julius Malema’s Twitter (now X) account was temporarily suspended.

A message reportedly sent to Malema said he had been restricted from tweeting, sharing tweets and liking posts.

“While in this state, you can still browse Twitter but you’re limited to only sending Direct Messages to your followers. No tweets, retweets, fleets, follows, or likes,” it said.

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The platform did not give reasons behind the suspension, but MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi accused the platform of trying to silence Malema.

The leader had earlier called on EFF supporters to oppose the army being dispatched to areas in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng affected by unrest and violence.

“Your suspension of this account gives an advantage to bloodthirsty racist killers in SA with no regard for black lives,” Ndlozi said.