EFF war of words at political pledge
The commotion started when EFF members refused to sing the Afrikaans and English parts of the National Anthem.
WHAT was supposed to be a peaceful pledge for elected candidates contesting the upcoming municipal election, turned chaotic at the Empangeni Civic Centre on Friday.
The signing of the peace and tolerance pledge became a battlefield of words, fraught with insults, accusations and threats between political parties.
Angry words flew between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Party (EFF) leaders especially.
The commotion started when EFF members refused to sing the Afrikaans and English parts of the National Anthem.
The ANC retaliated, singing ‘We are not all here, we are short of Mashaba’, referring to the late ANC Musa Dladla Region Chairperson Thulani Mashaba, who died in a car crash.
Pandemonium ruled as ANC and EFF members battled it out in song and dance between sessions.
uThungulu District EFF Secretary Nkululeko Ngubane voiced the party’s concern about the National Freedom Party (NFP) being removed from contesting the elections.
‘We stand with the NFP which was deprived to stand in for these elections,’ he said.
Ngubane blamed the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), saying they had to ‘stop being endorsed by other political parties’.
He also reacted with anger about the violence which erupted in eSikhaleni during the visit of EFF Commander Julius Malema in May.
‘This matter was not resolved, and the police and IEC have done nothing. The police must be neutral.
‘I want to pass the message to the municipal Speaker Mfundo Mthenjana and Mayor Mduduzi Mhlongo that we won’t be listening to any of their rules in the council chamber.
‘Those small boys Mhlongo and Mthenjane must not hide corruption behind their rules,’ said Ngubane.
After the signing ceremony, the EFF stormed out of the proceedings singing and dancing, while ANC members booed their former comrades who have become independent candidates.
While the ANC and EFF battled it out, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), represented by only one member, said they will not tolerate poster vandalism, intimidation and violence during campaigning and the elections.
Members of COPE and the NFP were not part of the pledge.
Eight political partie and 11 independent candidates were present.
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