EFF leader Julius Malema has announced plans to embark on a national shutdown on March 20 for the return of electricity.
The march, is also to force President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign as president of the country, according to Malema, who was speaking during a media briefing on Sunday.
“We’re responsible for our rights and no one can stop us from exercising our rights. There will be no school, no university, no factory, no bus, no taxi unless they are taking protestors to the picket line. There will be no truck, train to Richard’s Bay and there will be no big road operation on March 20 unless it’s emergency services,” said Malema.
Malema has been a longtime critic of Ramaphosa, having previously called for him to resign during a meeting with him and other party leaders represented in parliament recently when he responded to questions about the ongoing energy crisis.
During his presser, Malema said ANC MPs accused Eskom of failing the country, which he said was the equivalent of Ramaphosa having failed due to being the head of state.
Touching on governance, Malema said the time was up for the EFF to be on the sidelines of governance, having over this weekend resolved that the party must begin to hold meaningful roles of responsibility in municipalities.
“The EFF will continue to participate in the removal of the DA across all metros in order to establish governments that will be transparent, accountable and humble. The EFF will during the course of this year be accepting leadership responsibilities of speakers, mayors and members of mayoral committees in different municipalities.
“We want to demonstrate to the people of SA that we are a party that is capable to govern impactfully, ethically and without any form of corruption,” Malema said.
In November, the EFF came close to clinching its first ever mayor in the City of Ekurhuleni in a deal that would have seen the ANC support an EFF mayoral candidate.
But it all came crumbling down at the eleventh hour when the ANC caucus, led by former regional chairperson Mzwandile Masina, defied the provincial bosses and instead fielded their own candidate.
At the time, the EFF fielded Gauteng provincial chair Nkululeko Dunga, as a mayoral candidate but minutes before voting, Dunga withdrew when it emerged the ANC nominated their own.
In retaliation, the EFF voted DA’s Tania Campbell back into office as mayor.
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