The spokesperson for the ANC, Pule Mabe, has denied any claims of the party’s involvement in assassination attempts of EFF leader, Julius Malema.
Mabe told Political Analysis South Africa on Wednesday, 18 April 2018 that the allegations that members of the African National Congress (ANC) are planning to assassinate Malema are false.
“People must focus on their own election campaign and leave us out of their imagination. That is a figment of imagination,” he said.
“The National Executive Committee of the ANC takes itself very seriously. We can’t sit and discuss assassinating people when we are about the protection of life,” he added.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) released a statement on Tuesday 17 April 2018 that details alleged covert plans to assassinate Malema. The party says a group of individuals from have planned to assassinate Malema fearing that the EFF would defeat the ANC in next year’s general elections in the North West province and other provinces in the country. The party also says that right wing movements are involved in assassinating Malema because of the EFF’s stance on land expropriation without compensation.
“The ruling party must reign in on its individual members and educate them that in a democratic society, violence should not be an option,” said EFF Acting Spokesperson, Tebogo Mokwele.
Mokwele added that, “The ruling party must also prepare their members that there soon will emerge a period where they are not government and therefore not in control of resources which they thus far have been spectacularly misused.”
The EFF said that they have increased security around Malema and that they have alerted Police Minister, Bheki Cele about the assassination plot.
Speaking to Political Analysis South Africa on Wednesday 18 April, Mokwele admitted that they have not engaged with the ANC about these claims.
“If you have such information then you are aware of who are the culprits, it’s very difficult to deal with them in a kindly manner. You have to firstly check your security and make sure that you are…whatever that you’re going to do or say will be of importance so we have never, ever contacted them,” she said.
