Police Minister, Bheki Cele says they’ve launched an investigation against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema. This follows video footage of Malema discharging what looks like an assault rifle during the EFF’s fifth Anniversary celebrations in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape last week. Civil rights group Afriforum has laid criminal charges against Malema.
In the video which has since gone viral on social media, Malema is seen firing what appears to be a rifle. He is seen handing the alleged firearm to a white man who has since been named as Adrian Snyman.
Video of Malema discharging a rifle in public in a rally emerges pic.twitter.com/GvbS4dkwij
— SABC News Online (@SABCNewsOnline) August 1, 2018
Cele says a case has been opened and investigators and detectives are working on the case. The EFF has denied that it was a real firearm.
Meanwhile, Black First Land First has also condemned the incident but they have distanced themselves from AfriForum’s actions. BLF says it has opened a case against Snyman. In a video taken outside the Hillbrow Police Station, BLF deputy president, Zanele Lwana explains why they want Snyman to be charged.
“We as BLF say, by giving Malema the weapon, the white man put people’s lives at risk. In South Africa, to have a gun you must register for it, we want to know if that rifle has the correct documents and that it’s legal. We want to show the community and people of South Africa that when white people give us guns that were used during apartheid era, they want us to use them on each other as black people. We want the gun licence of the white man who gave Julius the gun to be revoked and found guilty of doing things in a way that is unlawful,” says Lwana.
An update on @BLF_SouthAfrica case to #ArrestTheSettler at Hillbrow Police Station. pic.twitter.com/l6lvu5Rak9
— ZaneleLwana (@ZaneleLwana) August 2, 2018
