EFF joins Black Lives Matter protests
The EFF in the Eastern Cape joined their colleagues from across the country in protesting against systemic racism under the #BlackLivesMatter banner.
EFF provincial chair Yazini Tetyana joined Nelson Mandela Bay regional chair Amandlangawethu Madaka in a march that started at Njoli Square and ended at the Kwazakhele police station.
Later, the group gathered outside the Uitenhage Town Hall where they observed an eight minute and 46 second silent protest in memory of
George Floyd, who died in police custody in the US last month.
Floyd died on May 25 and a video showing police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck went viral, resulting in outrage across the world.
“We are marching in solidarity with all black people who have been brutalised by police,” Tetyana said.
“Some have been injured, others seriously so.
“We’re in the metro today [Monday] to demonstrate our anger against the system.
“We’re not just talking about George Floyd but victims of the Marikana massacre, the 1976 generation and Steve
Biko.” Tetyana said people might ask themselves why the EFF was marching in solidarity with an American.
He said just because people were not seeing police brutality in their immediate surroundings it did not mean it was not happening in SA.
“Just now, during the lockdown, you had members of the police and the national defence force, who killed our brother Collins Khosa.
“This is the brutality we are talking about,” he said.
The group observed a moment of silence at Njoli Square while holding placards that read #BlackLivesMatter and #WeCantBreathe.
Before losing consciousness, while Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck, video footage showed him repeatedly telling the police officers involved that he could not breathe.
Throughout the march, members of the EFF observed social distancing in keeping with Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
Tetyana said the coronavirus was killing black people.
“Out of the 101 people who’ve died in the Eastern Cape, more than 50 are black,” he said.
Tetyana said the EFF had made it clear that it was against the reopening of schools.