UPDATE: EFF march on SABC in Auckland Park

Scores of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members are now at the SABC headquarters protesting the banning of their election ad which the broadcaster deemed to be inciting violence. The sea of red flowed from Pieter Roos Park in Parktown to Auckland Park where the anxious crowd waited for leader Julius Malema to address them.

The very vocal crowd is reported to have been singing “”Voetsek Zuma Voetsek Mantashe” during the procession, while other protesters carried placards posing that “[the] SABC belongs to ANC and Zuma, let’s burn it” and “Luthuli is not SABC”.

UPDATE 4pm: 

Once at the SABC, Malema went into scathing criticism of the SABC and even alleged that the national broadcaster was being controlled by the ANC and Jacob Zuma.

Of the acting Chief Operations Officer  Hlaudi Motsoeneng who was present on stage, Malema said that he had little formal education and was in such an important position because he is a crony of Zuma.  

“Zuma is the biggest problem,” warned Malema in his now signature red beret, “Hlaudi I must warn you, I used to protect [him] like yourself. He will dump you like a used condom, flush you like toilet paper. What makes matters worse for you Hlaudi, is that you’re not a Zulu and you’re not from Kwa-Zulu Natal. Zuma will dump you. The ANC has been reduced to a tribal office. It has been Zulufied. All Zulus next to Zuma are tribalists. Zuma doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”

Malema’s verbal attack was not reserved for the SABC, he also spoke out against other media houses who he felt are not catering to the needs of the public.

“The SABC is Zuma’s puppet. ENCA is the puppet of white monopoly capital,” he explained with no apology though he contradicted himself when he said ,”we’re marching to Hlaudi not SABC. We have no problem with SABC.” 

On the issue that led to the protest, the banning of an election advert, Malema said that if it incites violence then the police have all right to arrest them.

“When we say we will remove etolls physically, we’re saying we’ll have a ceremony to remove them [when change comes and we are in power].” 

Acting CEO of the SABC Tian Olivier accepted and signed a memorandum on behalf of the SABC.

“The elections will not be free and fair if we are denied fair coverage by the national broadcaster,” said Malema to cheers from the crowd.

Here are some tweets from the event:

@SITHOLEEXPRESS 28m
EFF will handover their memorandum here. They want their ‘banned’ elections ad to be aired at the SABC.

@27716124844 6m
Violence brings you nowhere! The large crowd screaming at the #SABC to “Voetsek” EFF @MarykeVermaak https://bit.ly/1hOsbr7

@Ntsako_Mashaba 46s
Julius Malema: sabc and icasa people are puppet of Jacob Zuma #eff_march

@Bhintsintsi 2m
Malema says the ANC communications committee controls the SABC and I casa . Says it with authority because he he sat in that committee #EFF

@SITHOLEEXPRESS
Malema says people who are appointed by Icasa are appointed by SABC.

@SITHOLEEXPRESS
Malema says Hlaudi is reporting to Zuma. #SABCNews

@EconFreedomZA
#Malema: This guy must be ashamed to be controlled by Hlaudi who is less qualified than him

@EconFreedomZA
#Malema: Workers here fear Hlaudi. The SABC has been reduced to an individual.

@AlexMitchley
Malema says hlaudi and SABC undermine the intelligence of the EFF and it’s members. #EFFmarch

@moremonice
Fact: EFF use challenges to their benefit, always strategic in there reaction to negatives .#Mackenzie # SABC #Marikana#nkandla

@Chriseldalewis
#EFF Malema says they have not marched to SABC but to Motsoeneng. He is the problem

Watch the banned ad and tell us what you think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVDzu-wgo8