Johannesburg - EFF leader Julius Malema has slammed some of the party’s security personnel for the chaotic and violent scenes that marred the party’s national elective conference on Saturday evening where some members were pepper sprayed.
Some of the delegates had to be sent to hospital after the scuffle.
Malema was speaking on Sunday morning as delegates returned to plenary to continue with the discussion of the organisational and finance report.
Malema condemned the behaviour from its paramilitary wing, known as Defenders of the Revolution, as unacceptable which was allegedly led by its leader, known as “The General”.
“I am told that there was a rascal who discharged on innocent delegates who were queuing to get their meal and proceed to their respective hotels. We had given clear instructions to both our security and the SA Police Service to behave in a manner that will show respect delegates, our guests and the media,” Malema said.
“This guy who discharged the pepper spray, when we came from the press conference, I could see that he was somehow agitated and he was looking for trouble. I even said to the former national chairperson (Dali Mpofu) that this guy is going to be the problem because he was even driving a golf cart recklessly around the entrance and hiding his face,” he said.
An injured delegate is taken away after a violent scuffle erupted on day two of the party's elective conference at Nasrec, it appears that delegates were in a queue for dinner when a security guard apparently sprayed pepper spray on the red berets. Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)
He said the EFF conference was above board and that he did not know why he had hid his face, adding that “The General” had been fired.
“Whatever happened yesterday has got no blessings of our leadership and as a result we have released that comrade. We have further given instructions that we don’t want to see him anywhere close to the activities of the EFF because he has got no respect for our delegates,” Malema said.
Malema apologised on behalf of the party’s top brass to delegates, before allowing plenary to continue deliberations on the tabled reports.