Malema tells students it should be ‘victory or death’

Speaking on Monday afternoon at the Vaal University of Technology in Gauteng, EFF leader Julius Malema was in full campaigning mode ahead of students’ representative council (SRC) elections on the campus.

He denied that it was even necessary for him to campaign, though, because EFF members in the SRC had already proven what they could do through their track record.

He hit out variously at the DA, the ANC and the media, referencing that “the enemy” was “coming for” the leadership of the EFF, allegedly due to having been “shaken” by his party.

“The DA says you vote for us because of alcohol – because that is white people think of us … that we are only good for alcohol and sex. When they say this they mean you are black and you cannot think,” he began. “They say the EFF thrives on the back of illiterate youth but you cannot find illiterate youth in institutions of higher learning. You can only find young intelligentsia.”

He took credit for having pushed for the announcement of free higher education last year.

“We made this call because it is through education that economic freedom will be realised. Illiteracy is a danger to democracy.”

He also took credit for the call to insource workers at higher education facilities.

“We said the workers should be insourced because by so doing you ensure that their children have access to education.

“All the workers deserve the same treatment as the lecturers because they are both selling their labour to the institutions. So, if the lecturer has a medical aid, then even the workers must have access to medical aids.”

Malema dwelt again on the land issue, denying that it was racist and a danger to the economy.

“When we say we need land from white people, it is not racist. They must give account of how they use their land. If you use 200 hectares for production, then 500 hectares should be given to others for them to use. How is that a collapsing of the economy?”

He was dismissive of the DA’s proposed strategy of giving people title deeds to property, arguing that “a long lease” would be preferable and lead people to “fall in love with the land”. It would also prevent them from easily selling their leased land to “a white man who will come with a case of money to buy the land from you”, in the process “stealing it legitimately”.

He said no one in China or Mozambique could own land, and that was not an impediment to investment or economic growth.

“[EFF detractors] are the same people that said that if Nelson Mandela becomes the president, then we will leave the country, but till today they haven’t left.”

“A rich white person in South Africa is a poor white person in Europe. That is why they will not leave South Africa. They are so used to privilege, and where they come from there is no privilege, so they won’t leave.”

He hit out at what he claimed was too much of a focus on EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu’s brother Brian’s involvement in the VBS Bank scandal, along with the millions he had been paid.

“R2 billion disappears from VBS, the majority of which was from the ANC municipalities. Today, when the story of VBS is told, all you are shown is Shivambu’s brother and there is no image of the ANC. Why? Because [former finance minister] Nhlanhla Nene is gone.”

He warned Minister of Transport Blade Nzimande to tell the truth at the state capture inquiry or he would suffer a similar fate to that of Nene.

“We will release [what we have on him]. We are giving him an opportunity to come clean.”

He offered university leaders advice on leadership and being a good example, including supporting women and “not using them for sexual favours”.

“The SRC office is not a sex house. We must never engage in violence, because we win through the power of persuasion and not through manipulation and violence.

“There is no life in poverty, so why would we be scared because we already have no life. We have seen death before and so we aren’t scared to defend this country with our lives because we know, we have two things to achieve: Victory or death.”

He said permanent infighting in the ANC was seeing it lurch from crisis to crisis.

“The ANC is having a permanent crisis. What is happening with Sasco [the SA Students’ Congress] at VUT is a reflection of what is happening to the national leadership of the ANC.

“Do not vote for a sinking ship. Vote for the EFF because we want to make this place a better place and demonstrate through VUT that even an institution that is made of black students can be excellent.

“The villages and townships are waiting for you and you must bring about the change most sought after by your village/township. Do not waste your vote, elect an SRC leadership that will create a conducive environment for you to learn and pass.”

(Edited by Charles Cilliers)

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