The Economic Freedom Fighters was accused of hijacking a march to the Union Buildings by residents of the Mooiplaas settlement, west of Pretoria, on Thursday.
“You are ruining our march. This is not a political party-led event,” said Emely Morongwe.
The residents were presenting service delivery demands to the presidency.
When community leaders were called to hand over the memorandum, EFF members complained about being left out. They pushed each other, and shouted insults at the police.
“You are allowing in whites. This is not a white man’s march,” one of them shouted when the police unlocked a gate to let in a journalist.
Agang SA member Makgoka Lekganyane was booed when he tried to restore order. He was one of three people allowed through the gate to hand over the memorandum, in which residents gave the government 18 days to respond to their demands for water, electricity, and houses.
“Who are you to tell us? You have been paid to interrupt our march… Our leaders are not there,” a man shouted at the EFF group.
The EFF members retreated to the back of the gathering, where they held a meeting. They sang while local EFF leader Peter Motherland read the memorandum.
“You are disturbing us. This is for the community not for you,” shouted a woman.
The EFF protesters, most of them wearing the party’s red T-shirts and berets, arrived at the Union Buildings singing songs in praise of their leader Julius Malema.
“Re suteleng re ya ya, Malema o e tla [Get out of the way we are coming, Malema is coming],” they sang, blowing vuvuzelas as they walked across the Union Buildings’ lawns.
Some carried placard reading: “Juju my commander all the way.”
After the memorandum was handed over, the EFF supporters continued to sing liberation songs. – Sapa
