Malema calls on ‘brave’ police officers to be rewarded

Hard-working police officers must be well-rewarded, the Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) leader Julius Malema said on Wednesday.

“The police put their lives at risk and are not paid overtime. A police officer who arrests a dangerous criminal must be rewarded. Brave, hard-working police officers must be rewarded,” Malema said in Coligny.

The commander-in-chief of the EFF was speaking to party members and supporters at Tlhabologang near Coligny during a by-election victory celebration.

He said a well-paid police officer would be able to resist the temptation of bribes.

The EFF snatched ward 15 of the Ditsobotla municipality from the ANC during a by-election on April 25.

Bongani Patrick Cekiso narrowly won the by-election with 36.48 percent of the votes cast compared to 54.79 percent that the ANC received in the 2016 municipal elections.

According to the results released by the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC)  the EFF won by 11 votes, the party received 699 votes and the ANC 688, the DA 374, VF PLUS 124 and an independent candidate received 32 votes.

The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in the North West said that the poor performance of the African National Congress (ANC) in Coligny by-elections must serve as a wake-up call for the ruling party.

“Unless service delivery issues receive the urgent attention they deserve, we fear for the worst in the forthcoming elections,” said provincial chairperson Paul Sebegoe.

He said closing the social distance and addressing concerns about non-delivery, arrogance and corruption would restore the confidence of communities.

“We will without doubt pay dearly if we take them for granted and continue on the current elitist trajectory which puts party leaders and their interests above those of our communities.”

Sanco is in alliance with the ruling ANC.

Malema also told supporters that they must take land in Coligny, adding that the land was stolen and should be returned.

“Each one of us must have a portion of land…”

He committed the EFF to build two houses for needy families in Tlhabologang to show what kind of houses the EFF-led government would build.

“We are asking the councillor to identified two families, we are going to build houses for them.  Our house will have two bedrooms, lounge, dinning room, bathroom with a toilet and a kitchen.”

He said his government would not build RDP (low cost) houses for young people but, would create jobs for them so that the young people could build their dream houses.

“RDP [house] is not for young people. It is for old people who could not built a house for themselves.”

Malema earlier told party supporters that the EFF was the only party fighting for black people in South Africa.

“We are fighting for black people. Why is only the black community which is  left in poverty, are we a cursed nation, are we a defeated nation, a we a hopeless nation. Why are we rejected, why are we killed when we speak the truth.”

He said winning a ward was the beginning of the emancipation from the corrupt riddled ANC-led government in North West and called for Premier Supra Mahumapelo to resign.

“We do not have sympathy for him…”

In a move indicating that the EFF has abandoned their court bid to have a motion of no confidence in Mahumapelo to be through a secret ballot, Malema said the party would write to the legislature for a motion of no confidence to be tabled.

Secret ballot or no secret ballot. We want to expose the crooks inside the ANC, to see if they mean business when they say they want Supra to go…”

A motion of no confidence in Mahumapelo was postponed on April 17, after the EFF requested a postponement while they finalise their legal papers for the motion to be through a secret ballot. The Speaker of the legislature Sussana Dantjie had ruled the the motion would be through an open ballot.

Malema called on his party members not to be part of looting and rioting going in the North West in the anti-Mahumapelo protest, he added that he dose not want to see an EFF member at the violent protest.

African News Agency/ANA