Get out, police tell Malema
JULIUS Malema was sent packing under police escort from strife-torn Marikana yesterday and threatened with arrest if he did not leave the area immediately.
Malema had arrived in some style at Wonderkop Stadium to address striking Lonmin workers, but left unceremoniously after a brief stand-off with the police monitoring events in Marikana.
The expelled ANC Youth League president was escorted out of the area by at least 10 police vehicles, while a helicopter hovered above.
Malema and his aides were about to walk into the stadium when a throng of police officers cut the group off and informed them he was not welcome.
The firebrand – who seemed surprised at the turn of events – pleaded with the police to let him through, as he was “only an ordinary citizen attending a legal meeting”, but the lawenforcement agents would have none of it.
Malema turned in the opposite direction and walked towards the Nkaneng informal settlement, but was again stopped in his tracks by the police.
“I’ve walked away from [the stadium]. Are you now [limiting] my movement?” Malema asked.
An officer who had been in an altercation with Malema earlier responded: “Mr Malema, I want you out of this place. I am going to arrest you if you don’t leave.”
A frustrated Malema was seen throwing his hand in the air as he continued walking in the direction of the scene of the massacre in which 34 miners were shot dead by police a month ago.
The police, in turn, blocked his way and two Nyalas were used at one point to obstruct his path.
A command could be heard echoing over police radios, ordering repeatedly: “Escort him out of the area… Escort him out of the area.”
Things seemed to be getting out of control as about 30 heavily armed police officers surrounded Malema, his bodyguards and suspended youth league secretarygeneral, Sindiso Magaqa.
During an exchange, a member of Malema’s entourage shouted that he’d heard officers saying, “let’s isolate him and shoot him”.
Malema became agitated and began shouting repeatedly at one of the officers: “[Does] this man want to shoot me? Does this man want to shoot me?” Magaqa and the bodyguards had to restrain Malema and bundle him into his car.
Police officers saw the group off and did not return to the stadium until Malema’s party’s two vehicles had disappeared down the N4.
On hearing news of the altercation, hundreds of strikers inside the stadium stood up shouting, “Let’s go fetch him [Malema].”
Strikers were prevailed upon not to leave the stadium to fetch Malema and an incident was avoided. Attempts to get a comment from Malema were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, legal experts have dismissed as “politicians engaging in hyperbole” accusations that the government had imposed an undeclared state of emergency by deploying the army in its crackdown on the violence-hit mining sector. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa asked President Jacob Zuma in a statement yesterday to “lift this undeclared state of emergency government has imposed on Marikana in order to ensure that we do not lose sight of the labour dispute at hand”.
He said the strikers had cooperated with the call from the government to lay down any dangerous weapons during gatherings and there was no reason for the troops to get involved.
Freedom Front Plus spokesman Pieter Groenewald called on Zuma to explain his actions to Parliament after SANDF troops were deployed at the weekend.
Zuma – who is obliged under the constitution to inform Parliament promptly of any decision to deploy troops – has yet to officially notify the legislature of his decision, although it is in session.
Troops entered Marikana on Saturday as part of the crackdown announced last week by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe on “illegal gatherings, carrying of dangerous weapons, incitement” and “threats of violence”.
DA defence spokesman David Maynier said it was “imperative”, now that the defence force had been deployed, that the president complied with the constitution and informed Parliament “promptly and in appropriate detail”.
He said the SANDF should be confined to providing perimeter security while the police conducted search-and-seizure operations.
Constitutional law expert Paul Hoffman said that the law allowed the president to deploy troops and to inform Parliament later.
He said that the SAPS needed all the assistance available.
“The police are all-hands-to-the-pumps and they do need extra help. There is a big underutilised military base next door with soldiers sitting there doing nothing,” he said.
“I don’t think you can call it a state of emergency if the strikers are still being allowed to have legal gatherings, organise themselves and are allowed to express their unhappiness with their lot in life and economic prospects.”
Zuma’s spokesman, Mac Maharaj, said there was “no question” of a state of emergency.