Mokoena slams Lwana’s woman abuse claims as ‘sick and irresponsible’

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Fana Mokoena has questioned the motives of Black First Land First (BLF) deputy Zanele Lwana, who criticised the EFF for using African National Congress (ANC) women as “scapegoats” to hide their own issues.

Sunday’s episode of The Big Debate sparked disputes on a number of issues, including the EFF’s red overalls and the party’s stance on foreigners in the country.

Lwana weighed in on the discussion and slammed the show for sidelining the BLF and accused the EFF of using ANC women as “scapegoats” to hide their own issues.

She said: “I would like to put on record firstly that this programme has decided to ban our organisation, and it’s quite shameful because you belong to the state broadcaster and there is an oversaturation of EFF leaders in this particular discussion.

“I think it’s very unjust, the nature of the conversation is not a debate. It becomes a conversation where people agree with each other, and you’re using particular women in the ANC as scapegoats to hide your own crimes.

“There are many rape allegations that have been coming up accusing the EFF. Women of the EFF have come out with complaints of being victimised…”

Mokoena took to Twitter on Monday to retaliate to Lwana’s assertions: “It’s sad that in [the] election period, people use women as pawns of political point scoring. Allegations of rape and woman abuse are serious matters. What Lwana said about me yesterday on The Big Debate is sick and irresponsible. I will assume she simply got carried away. Salute.”

Asked if he’d ever abused women, Mokoena replied no.

The party defended their overalls on Sunday with Mokoena justifying that what people in the party chose to wear was a matter of preference and not a mockery of the poor, adding that the overalls were symbolic.

(Compiled by Gopolang Chawane, Additional reporting by ANA)

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