Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, has accused the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of a lack of transparency in the process of registering candidates for the upcoming local government elections.
This as the IEC postponed the deadline of five o’clock to nine o’clock on Monday evening, saying several political parties have requested the extension as they still needed to finalise the list of those who will represent them in the polls.
Malema says it is obvious that the IEC is taking sides because the online system was still open beyond 9 pm.
He briefed the media a little earlier in Johannesburg.
“In the IEC we were all asked for IEC to postpone elections, they told us it’s not easy to postpone anything there. But they just came and postponed 5 o’clock saying several political parties, what type a party is that one. There is no party in South Africa called several political parties. The IEC should have been transparent from the beginning and said the following parties have requested that we postpone the time from 5 o’clock to 9 o’clock and we have adhered to that. ”
Campaign in full swing
Malema says they are going to campaign in full swing for the upcoming municipal elections. Malema says now that they have registered their candidates with the IEC, the EFF will be in every corner of the country – campaigning for the elections.
For now, the Constitutional Court is still deliberating on whether elections must take place this October or next year, as per the recommendation by the former Deputy Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke.
Malema told a media briefing in Johannesburg that no one will arrest EFF members for conducting election campaigns.
“Isukile, let’s go – lockdown of criminals who sneak their party to power through a back door. And then say to us, stay at home gather in big numbers, and don’t campaign, bona they are busy campaigning nominating candidates. We don’t want meetings more than 100s, bona they are busy doing meetings, electing candidates, we behave like the most disciplined members of society, we must never let our enemies tell us how we must fight them.”
EFF leader Julius Malema addresses the Economic Freedom Fighters Press Conference:
