CONSEQUENCES OF THE EFF BEING INTERDICTED FROM INCITING LAND GRABS

LAST week the EFF leader, Julius Malema, and his party were interdicted from illegally inciting land grabs and trespassing on private property with the express purpose of unjustifiably taking possession of it. It is worth noting that according to media reports, neither Malema nor his party bothered to defend the action by attending the court proceedings, and they could not be reached for political comment.

The EFF has strong fascist tendencies and often attempts to use strong-arm tactics and a threat of violence and disruption to attain its political ends. Democratic political conduct requires involvement in robust but intelligent discourse and debate.

In Parliament the EFF and its leadership, when they are present, have used obstruction and spectacle to make such discourse virtually impossible. Their bitter feud with President Zuma has brought inordinate harm to the Office of the President and to Par- liament as an institution, and makes it difficult for other political parties to exercise their role of oversight in relation to the executive.

The EFF, in wishing to be a law unto itself, would, it appears, like to incite a race war over the issue of land and other controversial issues, like the occupation of commercial banks. These tactics are inherently dangerous and do not contribute to meaningful discourse and debate in our body politic, particularly in Parlia- ment, which has as a result been brought in contemptuous disrepute.

It should be made categorically clear to the EFF and its leadership by all the relevant role-players that such conduct is totally unacceptable. Fascist conduct and strategy cannot advance the cause of liberty and transformation in the liberal and social democracy that our constitution provides for.

Professor George Devenish