Pretoria - The alleged deployment of State Security Agency (SSA) agents by President Cyril Ramaphosa to “promote political violence” and internal divisions at the EFF’s June 16 commemorative event in Limpopo on Friday is expected to top the agenda at the party’s meeting today.
National spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys yesterday confirmed the party’s top brass will discuss the security threat that was allegedly unleashed on the EFF by the country’s spies in Thohoyandou. She declined to comment further about the incident.
On Friday, the red berets dropped a bombshell when they accused Ramaphosa of sending the country’s spies to distribute caps and 6 000 T-shirts at the rally in Thohoyandou printed with a message calling for EFF president Julius Malema to vacate office.
The incident comes days before Chief Justice Raymond Zondo delivers his final instalment of the State Capture Report which is expected to cast a dark shadow on the activities of the SSA.
In a statement released on Friday, the EFF accused Ramaphosa of using the SSA to sabotage, disrupt and possibly harm its senior leaders, including Malema who attended their Youth Day rally held at Makwarela Stadium in Vhembe.
Mathys said in the statement that members of the EFF’s security services had arrested three heavily armed men next to the main stage, as well as an individual who allegedly distributed the anti-Malema T-shirts and handed over cash to community members who accepted and wore them.
She said 6 000 T-shirts, with the words “Malema must Step Aside” printed on them, as well as caps, were distributed by the spooks at the EFF’s 46th anniversary of the 1976 June uprising. “The individual who was distributing these T-shirts, would give R100 in cash to anyone who took and wore the T-shirt.
“This means they had large amounts of cash on them to bribe members of the community to participate in an effort to disrupt an EFF rally.
“It is even more alarming that the internal security of the EFF apprehended three men who were armed with rifles, who were part of this nefarious attempt at harming the EFF and its leaders,” Mathys said.
The EFF also claimed that the armed men were apprehended within close proximity of the stage.
“This leaves us with no doubt that they had an intention to cause deadly harm not only to the attendees of the rally, but the leadership collective on stage.”
Mathys further claimed in the statement that the alleged culprits were meant to cause confusion and chaos at the rally, adding the incident showed Ramaphosa had descended into a dictator.
“This is a characteristic of the regimes of dictators.
“It is clear now that South Africa has entered a dark period where dirty tricks will be utilised to suppress political dissent and disagreements.
“It is no coincidence that this barbaric plot comes after the EFF has launched a campaign calling for Ramaphosa to Step Aside.
“He has now resolved to use the same gangster tactics he used to cover up his criminality in Phala Phala farm, where he tortured and bribed people who stole his laundered money, against the EFF,” the statement read.
Delivering his speech at the rally, EFF president Julius Malema alleged that he had in his possession a video depicting Ramaphosa counting hard cash in a plane, which could be leaked soon.
The EFF statement also condemned “the use of money which is supposed to ensure the security of the country is stable on T-shirts to fight the opposition”.
“It is a shameful act to use state machinery to try to intimidate and weaken an organisation that is holding the establishment accountable.”
The party said it had reported the matter to law enforcement agencies.
“The EFF has handed over these agents and instigators to the South African Police Services (SAPS), and will follow the case closely to ensure that they are arrested and reveal who sent them and for what purpose.
“We must never allow South Africa to descend into a gangster and militia state, where political opponents of the regime are targeted and face the risk of assassination as was the case in the EFF’s June 16 rally. There is no state-sponsored campaign and deployment of armed thugs that will deter the EFF from holding Ramaphosa accountable for his crimes. The EFF will ensure that Ramaphosa vacates the Office of the Presidency, as it is no place for a two-faced, manipulative criminal who has no regard for our laws and democracy.”
The party, along with other opposition parties, has called for Ramaphosa to step aside as president of South Africa after revelations of the scandal. Farmgate came to light after former spy boss Arthur Fraser opened charges of money laundering, corruption, failure to report a crime, and acting in contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act against Ramaphosa related to the theft of the large sum of money hidden on the farm.
Ramaphosa spokesperson Vincent Magwenya refused to comment on the EFF allegations and criminal case.
“The Presidency has no comment”.
Pretoria News