Stones, rubber bullets and insults fly at EFF rally

ECONOMIC Freedom Fighters president Julius Malema was unmoved by ANC supporters throwing stones at him as he spoke on stage in Esikhaleni today.

Malema instead encouraged his supporters not to retaliate, and to ‘let police deal with these criminals’.

The visit by the EFF leader was marred by clashes between the parties’ supporters but a strong police presence ensured the violence did not escalate.

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Police also fired rubber bullets into the crowd of ANC supporters shortly after they started throwing stones.

One man, possibly an ANC supporter, was taken into custody by police after a single gunshot was fired.

A pistol was also confiscated.

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The EFF took to Twitter, calling the actions by ANC members ‘political intolerance’.

ANC uThungulu regional chairperson Nonhle Mkhulisi denied that ANC supporters were to be blamed for the incident.

‘From where  I was seated, I saw EFF members throwing glass bottles and stones into the area around the memorial arch where the ANC members had gathered.

EFF Spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi meanwhile called on the ANC to intervene.

‘It’s a clear strategy to disrupt us everywhere we go. We call on their political principals to intervene because their actions render these elections unfree and unfair.’

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Grab your copy of the Monday Edition of the Zululand Observer to read more about this incident.