Plot to assassinate Malema – EFF

The Economic Freedom Fighters has cited news of a plot to assassinate leader Julius Malema during the State of the Nation (Sona) address as the reason its MPs acted with “the necessary self-defence” during a scuffle outside parliament during which a plainclothed police officer was slapped.

The EFF said the assassination threat involved “elite members of the police” who were working with right-wing groups to kill Malema in a bid to prevent the expropriation of land without compensation debate from advancing.

“We are told that the Parliamentary Security Service, aka ‘white shirts’, have been infiltrated by these groups and targeted the occasion of the Sona to execute the assassination,” it said.

“The hope was that the EFF caucus would be kicked out of the House, using the parliamentary security [white shirts].

“The evil acts would then be carried out during this moment of chaos.”

The EFF said when it was blocked from passing through a particular part of parliament after Thursday night’s Sona, it thought it was the moment the threat would be executed.

“The event of a white security man in black and white, being pushed and [slapped] in the face, followed him violently pulling the [commander-in-chief] Malema from passing through the corridor doors of the National Assembly.” The EFF added that it was illegal for security personnel to obstruct MPs to move about to do their work, citing the Powers, Privileges, and Immunities of Members of Parliament Act. Earlier yesterday, parliament condemned the incident which was captured on a cellphone video which was distributed and went viral. – ANA

The white shirts have been infiltrated.