Women don’t vote for EFF, because we don’t make any sense – Malema

In an extraordinary admission during his Women’s Day address in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema said he was aware that women, by and large, don’t vote for the EFF.

He said they knew most of their supporters were men.

However, the EFF was aware of the problem and was targeting the support of women, which he said would allow them to become the government of the country if they could succeed, since women are the majority in South Africa.

WATCH | Malema greeted by cheers and ululations as he arrives at EFF Women's Day rallyhttps://t.co/P7HbHvBgwo pic.twitter.com/iyxQy0KXzb

— Daily Dispatch (@Dispatch_DD) August 9, 2018

He said that women were important to them not only because of their numbers but because “women follow things that make sense”.

“The majority of EFF voters are men, and we can’t be proud of that. It means there is something wrong we are doing. Women are attracted to things that make sense. So it means we are not making sense – because the majority of EFF voters are men.”

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: 2019 is coming and if things are still the same, it is because you did not vote. We have mostly men as voters and we must change that. Women follow things that make sense, It means as EFF we are not making sense. We must change that and appeal to women

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

He called for the EFF to always treat women with the utmost respect.

“Because those ones who are outside wanting to vote for you, they can see how you are treating your women in the EFF.

“We want a woman vote. Once we get the women vote … we are gone. We are going to be government here in Natal. We are not government in Natal because women are not voting for us. We must go out and prioritise the female vote.

“It’s there. It’s waiting for us. ”

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: Political Parties must start a culture of cultivating female leaders. The same respect we give to our National Chairperson, we must show to our Deputy Secretary-General when she is chairing the meetings of the EFF.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

He had earlier undertaken that if the EFF came to power, he would ensure that every woman in the country was given at least one hectare of arable land to farm with, as well as support to succeed with farming. Malema said the patriarchy of traditional leaders would also not be tolerated.

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: Each and every ward must have tractor that goes into these hectares and do the work for our people. We don't want hard labour for our mothers. Give our people the tools to work the land, open schools that will teach our children how to use the land.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: We will only corporate with traditional leaders if they give the land to women. They should not give the land according to family ties. We must do away with nepotism and favouritism.

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— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: Let me not even talk about Traditional Leaders because they say when you are a women, you cannot receive the land. You must first have a child or marry before they give you the land.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

In addressing the scourge of rape, he referred to rapists as “mini-Zumas” and declared that any EFF member’s membership would be “terminated” the moment they were accused of rape. He also spoke out against so-called blessers, calling for them to be “killed” through offering better financial support to young women, especially students.

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: The SRC must start using their allocated budgets to support girl children in the universities. If you have more money, introduce a feeding scheme. If we stop isolating women in all these places where we come together, society will self-correct.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: Fighters, in every space we find ourselves, we must protect women. Any man that abuses a woman in the EFF, we must deal decisively with that person and then you will see that society will self-correct.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

He slammed senior ANC member Baleka Mbete for having supported Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidency over Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s.

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: You women of SA, call Baleka Mbete a women who fought in the struggle and say that I disrespect her. Yet that same Baleka could not support a woman when she ran for presidency. Instead of supporting Nkosazana Zuma, she supported Ramaphosa, Mr Nice Nose

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

He once again declared that former president Jacob Zuma would end up in prison.

Malema had earlier spoken out against churches being used “to isolate women”.

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: There are churches that practice sexist segregation and isolation of women and yet we have not marched against them. We must challenge every space that oppresses women.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018

#EFFWomensDayRally Malema: There are no holy cows here, we are all under democracy, all of us must be subjected to the law of the constitution. Women are oppressed in universities. Women are oppressed in companies.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 9, 2018