EFF squabble turns violent

TSHWANE REGION CONFERENCE: PROTEST ERUPTS OVER 15 CANDIDATES

Incensed party members turn on each other during the Economic Freedom Fighters Tshwane regional conference, allegedly pulling out guns in protest against candidates they believed were being forced on them.

Some party members claim they had not chosen candidates, who were being forced on them.

Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officers stood helplessly by while members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) took over their premises and barricaded the entrance to the department’s head offices with burning tyres yesterday.

Incensed EFF members turned on each other during the EFF Tshwane regional conference, allegedly pulling guns on each other in protest against candidates they believed were being forced on them.

Violence erupted when delegates protested against candidates representing 15 Pretoria branches.

Some delegates claimed they had not voted for these candidates to represent them. They demanded that the candidates be removed and replaced with the original candidates.

A frantic party member called The Citizen yesterday, saying there was total chaos, with people coming to blows and pulling guns on one another.

On arrival, The Citizen’s photographer was warned not to take pictures of the scores of EFF supporters barricading the gate of the TMPD head office in FW Nkomo Road in Pretoria West.

At least 10 TMPD vehicles and numerous metro police officers were standing outside the gates, watching the EFF run amok.

An EFF member approached The Citizen and said party members were unhappy with the delegates of 15 Pretoria branches who were introduced yesterday.

However, he said those who wanted the conference to collapse would be disappointed.

“We are going ahead and everything is back to normal. This conference will not collapse,” he said.

EFF members opened the gates shortly after 1.45pm, allowing the metro police officers to access the premises.

An EFF member said the conference only really kicked off after 4pm yesterday.

“We are cool now and we are going ahead with the conference,” he added.

Members at the conference did exactly what commander-in-chief Julius Malema warned them against last Friday during Africa Day Celebrations.

“He asked them to conduct themselves in an orderly manner during the conference and to keep focused,” said the member.

“But they have clearly showed him the middle finger by doing the opposite.”

It is unclear what transpired after the ruckus and if the 15 branches got their way in terms of the candidates they expected to represent them.

TMPD spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba initially said he was working on a press release, but did not respond after that to numerous questions, phones calls and WhatsApp messages. –

We are going ahead and everything is back to normal. This conference will not collapse.

EFF member