Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has committed to support the family of the late Mthokozisi Ntumba who died at the hands of the police last week, during the Wits University student protests in Johannesburg.
He told members of the media at the Ntumba family home in Kempton Park, that they’ll get a lawyer who will make sure that government pays for what happened to their brother. Malema says it’s about time the state began to respect the ordinary people of the country.
“Our brother just completed masters and has just got himself a house. He’s got a family of three children, the youngest five months and the eldest being seven years old. He also takes care of his brothers and aunt. So you can see how many people have lost out of this death. We want to make sure that government pays a lot of money for killing an innocent soul.”
The EFF leader says he’ll see to it that Parliament debates a change in law that will see the Constitutional Court declaring the use of rubber bullets and other dangerous weapons during peaceful protests in South Africa, unlawful.
He says it is unjustified that Mthokozisi Ntumba is now dead after being shot by the police, yet he was not posing a danger to the authorities.
“No rubber bullet must be used, no bullet must not be used. There must be effective control mechanism to police the public, especially during a protest. Those things of guns must come when there’s violence. When they see white people, they take selfie with them, when they see use they shoot us with rubber bullets. It must come to an end, the use of bullets must be declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court.”
Malema’s address in the video below:
‘King fought for rights of all South Africans’
The EFF leader also weighed in on the bowing out of the king of the Zulu nation.
Malema says South Africa has lost a true fighter.
He says King Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu’s death does not only affect the AmaZulu nation, but the whole country because the King fought for the rights of all South Africans.
“We will be going there to Nongoma to also pay our respects. And to say to the Zulu people we thank the king for being at the Centre of peace in KwaZulu-Natal. Such a person is worth celebrating.”
AmaZulu Traditional Prime Minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has told SABC News that King Goodwill Zwelithini will be planted in a private funeral on Wednesday night, which will be followed by a memorial on Thursday.
The Zulu Royal Family has thanked South Africans for messages of condolences following the King’s bowing out:
