[imagesource: YouTube / SABC News]

If the EFF isn’t involved in violent clashes with law enforcement, is it even a SONA?

As is customary when our politicians gather once a year in Cape Town to waste money listen to and then debate President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address, Julius Malema and his party members put on a show.

Shortly before Ramaphosa was due to head inside Cape Town City Hall to deliver his speech, EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was filmed in an altercation.

News24 reports that Malema said the clash was because of “officers trying to block the party from doing its job”. Other than looting VBS Bank, I’d say performative violence in public is the EFF’s sole function so perhaps he’s on the money.

Esa Alexander shot this footage:

Police and EFF clash before the State of the Nation Address outside Cape Town’s City Hall. Video: Wardãh Wilkinson @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/qAX3HBQy4Z

— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) February 10, 2022

When the cameras are rolling it’s go time, chaps:

The second video below shows the same altercation from a different angle:

“We are members of Parliament, we are not scared. Don’t bring trouble. We not scared, we are no scared, we are not scared of all of you! You were defeated by Christmas,” said Ndlozi to the officers who allegedly try to block EFF members from entering the precinct. #SONA22 pic.twitter.com/M8uVnCl0VT

— Wardāh Wilkinson (@WardahWilkinson) February 10, 2022

“You were defeated by Christmas” refers to Zandile Christmas Mafe, the man accused of setting Parliament ablaze.

Ndlozi’s been sitting on that one a while.

It’s not an EFF party until Julius mentions racism:

According to Malema, the MPs retaliated after they were blocked by police officers from entering City Hall.

“The police always come here agitated. But there is a problem here of racist police, amongst the coloured officers and white officers,” he told journalists.

Malema said when police officers saw EFF members, “they just get angry”.

Probably doesn’t help that the EFF isn’t big into diffusing situations.

Inside City Hall, the usual grand promises were made and luckily we’ll all have forgotten next year when it happens again.

[source:news24]