Row over Juju guards grows

In the wake of allegations yesterday that EFF leader Julius Malema’s security unit, known as the Defenders of the Revolution (DOR), beat up and shot live rounds at EFF members in the Vaal on Saturday night, further details have emerged about what possibly happened.

Malema attended the party’s provincial people’s assembly gathering in Midvaal to oversee the election of new leaders.

A dispute over the availability of an expelled member, Abednego Mathole, allegedly led Mathole’s supporters to get upset and storm out. Another point of dispute was reportedly the EFF’s support for the DA.

It’s understood Mathole was expelled from the party for, among other things, a confrontation with EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee, who was accused in July of punching and slapping another young member of the party multiple times, mistakenly thinking he was Mathole.

Mathole had openly criticised the EFF leadership, including deputy president Floyd Shivambu, after Shivambu assaulted a journalist outside parliament.

However, Malema has claimed it was Mathole who, in fact, assaulted Gardee, which apparently infuriated Mathole’s supporters. It was at this point that they apparently stormed out of the venue.

An audio clip has emerged of Malema denouncing Mathole and his supporters as “stone throwers”, amid him talking about Mathole allegedly assaulting Gardee.

Social media was abuzz yesterday regarding the allegations that Malema’s security may have fired live ammunition at the dissenting members.

The primary source is Mphahlele Phasoane Mpho, who described the attack on Facebook.

The EFF is yet to make a statement about the allegations. Attempts to contact EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi were unsuccessful.