ANCYL chases Malema’s EFF off university campus

JULIUS Malema, his Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and supporters were chased away from the University of Johannesburg by hockey stick-wielding ANC Youth League members.

Dozens of security guards and ANCYL members prevented the group of EFF members, which included businessman Kenny Kunene, from entering the university’s Doornfontein campus to address students.

Half the EFF members stood outside, while the other half found themselves locked inside.

The guards were unrelenting, despite the members outside demanding they be allowed in, claiming that they had permission to hold the event.

The EFF members began chanting anti-Zuma slogans while Kunene told students outside that the incident would not stop them.

He said UJ was “remote controlled” from ANC headquarters Luthuli House, but that “these tactics will not discourage or weaken the spirit to establish EFF”.

A handful of students in ANC shirts jeered at the EFF members, who turned on them, threatening to beat them up.

It was not clear whether Malema had been watching the commotion from his car, but he was not seen on the scene.

Soon afterwards student supporters of the EFF ripped up an ANC shirt, then jumped on it.

UJ spokesman Herman Esterhuizen said the event was “unscheduled”.

“It takes eight weeks for the university to approve an application. We only received the rele- vant documents from the student body this week,” he said, adding that the EFF members inside the premises were students who had used their access cards to gain entry.

The EFF criticised the UJ for denying the group access, saying the university had “joined the long queue of manipulated public institutions used to settle political scores by the ruling party”.

EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said the incident was proof President Jacob Zuma and the ANC were intimidated by them, resorting to “cheap tricks, manipulation and street gossip”.

Later, in Soweto, the EFF got a rousing welcome, with a sea of red military berets and caps in evidence at Uncle Tom’s Community Hall in Orlando West.

Malema had not arrived by the time of going to press last night.