“We have not abandoned you. We will look after you until you get home safely.”
This was an assurance from EFF president, Julius Malema, to the party’s delegates after security roughed them up and pepper sprayed them on Saturday night at their conference.
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The incident followed a jostle at the queue for food after the election of the top six which went on until around midnight.
Malema said: “The police are hostile to the EFF. They told us they are responsible only outside and not inside the venue. Let’s be disciplined. I know that you are angry. I am angry too. Don’t allow the enemy to come in-between us.”
He said their security have been told not to treat journalists harshly too, but be nice to them.
Malema was returned unopposed as the president at this second elective congress.
Malema rubbished claims that the incident was evident of how women were treated in the party, saying why would women delegates complain to journalists and not the leadership.
The new president said the issue was an isolated incident, and it was just unfortunate. He said the security guy who was responsible for the incident was released.
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He said it was unfortunate that the cops were only deployed outside the venue and said what happened inside was the EFF’s problem.
Later on after he addressed the delegates, they still continued discussing the matter of security from the floor.
An angry Malema reprimanded them, telling them to stop discussing EFF’s security matters publicly.
”I have apologised to you, but you are still bringing that security matter back! There are agents provocateurs here who’ll know about our security. What kind of apology do you want? When the president has addressed an issue, it must be closed.”
He said their conference was much disciplined than of any political party he has been to.
