Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Male has launched a scathing attack on government, telling his supporters to defy lockdown regulations until more Covid-19 vaccines are procured.
Malema was speaking during a heavily packed Youth Day rally outside Uitsig High School in Centurion, Tshwane, on Wednesday
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Tuesday, June 15 that South Africa would move to level 3 lockdown as the country’s Covid-19 infections continued to rise.
Ramaphosa said Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape were officially in a third wave, while others were approaching that point.
The regulations included restrictions on gatherings and a curfew from 22:00 to 04:00.
The EFF’s rally was attended by scores of party supporters, as other political leaders opted for virtual gatherings.
[In Case You Missed It]: CIC @Julius_S_Malema says nothing is fine in this country. Let us take the war to their doorstep.
Let us stop protecting Ramaphosa who is destroying our economy, our youth and selling our country to the highest bidder. #EFFJune16inUitsig pic.twitter.com/Idec8SnNwR
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) June 16, 2021
“From today, we don’t listen to what Ramaphosa says about the coronavirus. We don’t comply with nonsense he says about the coronavirus until he gives us vaccine and vaccinates our people because he has no intention of vaccinating our people.
“The Russians have offered vaccine but they refused it. We want our country back. Let us go and reclaim our country from Ramaphosa. If it means death, so be it. If it means prison, we will wait with honour because prison for revolutionaries is an honour. Only cowards will be scared of prison,” Malema told his supporters.
He said there was still a lot to be done for the youth in South Africa to be “happy”, adding that the youth had nothing to celebrate as many of them remained unemployed.
In his speech on Youth Day, Ramaphosa acknowledged that unemployment statistics had reached an all-time high of 64%, saying that “this is something no country can afford”.
[In Pictures]: CIC @Julius_S_Malema addressing the EFF June 16 commemoration outside the Uitsig High School in Centurion. #EFFJune16inUitsig pic.twitter.com/WHI2p2jZ2I
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) June 16, 2021
To rectify this, Malema said the economy needed to be opened and the nation vaccinated.
The EFF leader said the youth were drowning in misery, as they faced many challenges that the government was failing to tackle.
“The unemployed youth of SA need jobs. [Lockdown] level 3 will not give them jobs, reducing gatherings will not give them jobs. What will give them jobs is a vaccine and opening of the country so they can go hunting. They are not lazy to hunt.
“Let’s take the war to this guy [Ramaphosa]. We gave him a chance for far too long. We have tolerated his nonsense for a very long time. We declare today, here and now on June 16, the same way the youth of 1976 said enough is enough, we will confront this government and protect our youth,” said Malema.
PICTURE: Twitter/@EFFSouthAfrica
