EFF’s Ndlozi sticks to his tweet, as social media takes him to task

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has come under social media “fire” for a controversial tweet in defence of party members caught on tape pushing away an ENCA journalist.

The incident happened on Tuesday in Cape Town where journalist, Nobesuthu Hejana is seen covering a story where a group of EFF supporters were protesting the publishing of a racist advert by retailer Clicks. In the clip, eNCA says Hejana was man-handled by EFF members.

Ndlozi tweeted on Wednesday morning saying the push was not harrasment as it was not forceful.

But they are telling her that she can be here, but not allowed to talk to EFF members. It means she was trying to interview them

I really do not see harassment here. Merely Touching her is not harassment. The touch has to be violent, invasive, or harmful to become harassment! https://t.co/dzkglCGVcM

— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) September 9, 2020

Many have strongly condemned Ndlozi’s words and deem his views as a problem in the fight against GBV.

What Ndlozi is doing is what women in SA have to deal with every day. Our GBV crisis isn’t just perpetrated by the men who do the assaulting but by those who make excuses for them and enable them. By those who think they have the right to quantify what level of violation “counts”

— Ann Marie Lastrassi stan (@naledimashishi) September 9, 2020

Another user also had strong words for Ndlozi.

So according to dokotela Ndlozi, there is nothing wrong with “merely touching” a woman?
It is the “merely touching” that led to many women being raped in this country.
We are not safe at all.

— Daughter of The African Soil ?❤️❤️ (@Anastasi_Boity) September 9, 2020

This comes during what some have called an epidemic in the country, as South Africa is dealing with frequent cases of gender-based violence against women and just a few days after women’s month.

Earlier in the week, President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced three Bills to help implement laws that will deal with gender-based violence in the country whilst a woman was allegedly killed by her partner at a police station in the Eastern Cape.

But some have come to Ndlozi’s defence.

Ndlozi made a mistake and tweeted something insensitive, that does not mean everyone in the EFF think that way. With that said, we still believe in the EFF and Ndlozi.

— Mpilo (@Mpilo_Enclaire) September 9, 2020

Another user seems to be in Ndlozi and the EFF’s defence.

The same people attacking Ndlozi and the EFF. Are the same people who laughed when EFF women were attacked in parliament and are the same people who attack and insult EFF leaders today mara GBV akere stands for female based violence unless you a women in the EFF.

— Thato Hlalele❤️?? (@ThatoHlalele4) September 9, 2020

Ndlozi later tweeted something contrary to his initial message, but the subsequent tweet seems to have been deleted.

Here is a screenshot of the deleted tweet:

Ndlozi has defended his tweet, going as far as showing a clip from former president Nelson Mandela’s release from Victor Verster in 1990, where visuals of current president Cyril Ramaphosa seemingly touching a journalist as another unidentified man pulls the journalist away from Mandela’s path.

Here is Ramaphosa TOUCHING a journalist to remove her from the way so that Mandela’s can pass. Merely touching journalists is NOT harassment

We can disagree with EFF members removing journalists from protests (WHICH IS WRONG) without saying merely touching them is Harassment! pic.twitter.com/inniwlNgRf

— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) September 9, 2020