Durban - A war of words has erupted in the wake of clashes at an Economic Freedom Fighters rally that saw stones being lobbed at EFF leader Julius Malema as he took to the stage to address supporters near Richards Bay in Northern KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday afternoon.
EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi claimed in a statement issued afterwards that an organised and funded mob was responsible for the unrest that erupted in Esikhawini, about 20km south of Richards Bay.
The rally descended into chaos as public order police armed with shotguns and rubber bullets were forced to intervene to keep the peace. They formed a barrier between African National Congress supporters and about 1 000 EFF supporters on opposite sides of the road.
Stones were thrown at Malema minutes after he took to the stage. He was forceably pushed back by his bodyguards while stones flew at the stage and he told supporters not to retaliate. “Let the police deal with these criminals,” he said.
Police then fired rubber bullets into the crowd of ANC supporters and soon thereafter a single gunshot rang out. One man was apprehended and a pistol confiscated.
Ndlozi, referring to recent violent incidents against EFF members in Mbombela and Ekurhuleni, claimed that to date the ANC national, provincial, and regional leaders had not called their members to order “because the violence and disruptions are planned and funded from the top”.
“In all the programmes addressed by the commander-in-chief [Malema], especially in KZN, the ANC organised a mob which tried to disrupt and start violence around EFF activities,” he said.
However, ANC uThungulu chairwoman Nonhle Mkhulisi denied that ANC supporters had thrown any stones and laid the blame on the EFF supporters.
“We never observed ANC members throwing stones. From where I was seated I saw EFF members throwing stones and glass bottles at the group of ANC [supporters] that were chanting slogans within the parameters of the ANC memorial arch where we go to meet and run our campaigns from,” she said.
Replying to a question from the media on whether it had been provocative to station ANC members directly across the road from an EFF event, Mkhulisi claimed it was in fact the ANC that was provoked.
“But we never threw stones. If there is any evidence that shows ANC members were throwing stones we will condemn that action.”
The ANC Memorial Arch is close to Esikhawini Mall, the venue where Malema’s manifesto rally took place on Saturday.
Malema was due to address supporters in Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, and Umlazi, Durban on Sunday, the final day of his three-day visit to the province.
On Sunday morning, KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said no arrests had been made.
“Police are, however, investigating a violation of the Public Gatherings Act, as it seems their [EFF] application to the local municipality to permit them to gather there was turned down,” he said.
“So far, no one has been charged with any offence relating to a firearm,” Zwane said.
African News Agency