Durban - South Africa has achieved political freedom, but has been unable to attain economic freedom.
This was the message from Julius Malema at a Freedom Day rally at the John Dube stadium in Inanda, Durban, on Monday.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader told a crowd of about 3 000 that the party was “not celebrating Freedom Day” because political power did not put food on the table for the poor.
He also condemned the xenophobic violence that has plagued the province.
“People of KwaZulu-Natal voted for ANC in KZN; then, if things go wrong, they must take their anger out on ANC and not on foreign nationals,” Malema said. He said it was not Mozambicans who told President Jacob Zuma he must build a “fire pool” at his Nkandla home.
To educate people about Africa’s role in the fight for South Africa’s freedom, Malema said history should be made a compulsory subject at school.
People would then know where they came from and how those who fled the country during apartheid found refuge elsewhere in Africa.
He accused Zuma of protecting the privilege of the white minority.
“South Africa is still in the hands of white males. Their days are numbered,” he said, and South Africans were poorer than they were during apartheid.
With local government elections coming next year, Malema said members who were contesting should lead by example.
“Stop sleeping around,” he told supporters. He said people who did this were untrustworthy, and accused ANC officials of using their positions in government to demand sexual favours.
Towards the end of the event, EFF chairman Dali Mpofu started to sing “Shoot the boer, shoot the thug,” as sections of the crowd sang along.
Mpofu insisted that Die Stem should be excluded when singing the national anthem.
“Die Stem, like statues, must fall,” Mpofu said.
One of the people who attended the march said there was no freedom in South Africa.
Phindile Blangwe, from Ridge View, said the government was not acting in the interests of the people.
“We want the people who we elected to represent our views. If they don’t represent our views, then we will kick them out. We told Malema to be rude in Parliament. We will stand by him until he does not follow our orders.”
Blangwe, 39, said she had been living in a tin shack for the past eight years and saw no progress in her living arrangements due to no service delivery.
Daily News