Johannesburg - EFF leader Julius Malema told SABC acting chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng on Tuesday that the e-toll gantries could not be removed emotionally.
“We are going to destroy e-tolls physically. We can't remove them emotionally,” he told thousands of people outside the SABC buildings in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
“If that is incitement to violence, police must come and arrest us,” Malema said.
They had marched on the public broadcaster's head office over its refusal to air an Economic Freedom Fighters' television election commercial.
Motsoeneng and SABC acting CEO Tian Olivier were there to receive a memorandum from the EFF.
The SABC claims the advert, which includes the slogan “destroy e-tolls physically”, incites violence.
The Independent Communications Authority of SA agreed with the SABC's decision when the EFF challenged it.
Malema accused the public broadcaster of undermining the intelligence of voters by suggesting the advert would lead to them attacking the gantries on Gauteng's highways.
He said the gantries were like apartheid-era statues which would be removed once the party won the May 7 elections.
He told the SABC bosses that their actions were similar to those of the apartheid government.
“You are doing exactly what the apartheid government did during the struggle, but that never stopped our people,” Malema said.
He said the African National Congress controlled both the SABC and Icasa.
“I say this with authority because I was sitting in those commissions. Icasa people are appointed by ANC. When you complain to Icasa, you complain to the ANC.”
Malema warned Motsoeneng about supporting and protecting President Jacob Zuma. He called on him to change his ways before he found himself facing the same fate that befell him when he was kicked out of the ANC Youth League.
“I must warn you that he is going to throw you out like a used condom. Ask (Zwelinzima) Vavi and (Fikile) Mbalula. When it was time to dump us he did not think twice,” he said.
Mbalula was a former ANC Youth League president.
Malema said Zuma only cared about himself.
“If you don't change your conduct, we will come here, put a truck outside and celebrate your dumping.”
Malema accused Zuma of being a tribalist who only protected those who were Zulu and from KwaZulu-Natal. The fact that Motsoeneng was neither Zulu nor from Zuma's home province made it easy for Zuma to dump him.
“Zuma is a tribalist. That is why there is strategic placing in government. They 1/8Zulus 3/8 only trust themselves. The ANC has turned into a tribalist organisation.”
He told Motsoeneng he would be sidelined after the election. The ANC government would make an example of Motsoeneng in its bid for a clean government, he said.
“I see a planned scenario when it happens. I will be in Parliament at the time and I will welcome your suspension.”
In February, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released a report titled “When governance and ethics fail”, finding that Motsoeneng irregularly and rapidly increased the salaries of various staff members, resulting in the state broadcaster footing an unprecedented salary bill escalation of R29 million.
Her investigation dwelt on Motsoeneng's alleged irregular appointment and a crooked salary progression.
Sapa