The newly appointed National Police Commissioner, General Khehla John Sitole is seen at the SAPS training academy during his first press briefing on his appointment, 23 November 2017, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
Following the Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF’s) statement on Tuesday night that the party is taking allegations of an assassination plot against its president, Julius Malema, very seriously, Police Minister Bheki Cele has requested the police commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, to investigate the allegations.
EFF acting spokesperson Tebogo Mokwele said the party had been alerted to “nefarious and evil plans to assassinate the commander-in-chief and president of the Economic Freedom Fighter” and were “not taking the threats lightly”.
Cele’s spokesperson told TimesLive that Malema discussed the allegations with the police minister.
The spokesperson is quoted as saying the investigation into the allegations is going to be an operational matter and that Sitole is in the process of conducting an “entire analysis in as far as those threats are concerned”.
It is further reported that the red berets have tightened their security following the allegations of an assassination plot against Malema.
In their statement last night, the EFF said: “The covert plans come from reliable sources who indicate that a small group of politically insecure and insane individuals from the North West province have approached drug dealers and assassins in different provinces, particularly in the Western Cape, to assassinate the EFF president.
“The threats from this group of politically insecure and insane individuals are informed by the fact that the EFF is on the verge of politically defeating the ANC in the North West Province, and other provinces in the upcoming general elections. These threats are real and should not be taken lightly because the North West is one of the provinces known for mysterious and unresolved political killings.
“These security threats also form part of several threats coming from right-wing forces, who use social media, private caller identities, and fake emails platforms to pose death threats against the leadership of the EFF. These threats are largely linked to the EFF’s uncompromising and decisive leadership of the struggle for land expropriation without compensation and the relentless war against racism.”
The party’s acting spokesperson said: “The ruling party is known for internal political killings to suppress its own members and activists, and it looks like they now intend to export the political killings to other political parties.”
The EFF called on the ANC to control its members and “educate them that in a democratic society, violence should not be an option”.
It further said: “Politics should always be about presenting superior logic, solutions and alternatives and not on who has resources to hire assassins to suppress alternative views and organisations. The ruling party must also prepare their members that there soon will emerge a period where they are not the government and therefore not in control of resources, which they thus far have been spectacularly misused.
“Democracy means that from time to time, ordinary citizens should be allowed to choose the government of their own with no threat of violence and retribution.
“The EFF cautions the ruling party and all right-wing forces that resorting to violence will degenerate the peace, which came through a very painful and difficult transition period in South Africa.
“Politics in South Africa and everywhere in the world must never be defined by violent and fatal suppression of alternate views and perspectives. There are many challenges confronting South Africa today, and focus should be on these challenges and not violent and fatal suppression of alternatives.”
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