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Durban – The DA will be laying criminal charges against the EFF for allegedly inciting violence on campuses, the party said in a statement.
DA MP and DA Student Organisation (Daso) leader, Yusuf Cassim, said the EFF had been using “violent and racially divisive language” to communicate with students over the past week.
“The charge relates particularly to a post by an EFF Youth Command leader, Omphile Seleke, on Facebook, which detailed the steps to make a petrol bomb. This post was subsequently retweeted by the EFF Student Command at the University of Pretoria.
“Incendiary and inciting public statements such as this are a cause of great concern and should be viewed as a serious offence, especially after the events that unfolded last week at the University of Pretoria, University of the Free State and North West University’s Mafikeng Campus,” he said.
According to Cassim, the EFF's leadership have yet to address the issue. He said the party was “turning a blind eye”.
“This is not the first of such posts which has contained divisive and incendiary language. The DA will also be laying a complaint at the South African Human Rights Commission for the comments made by Mr Seleke," Cassim said.
Peaceful engagement and dialogue needed
“Political parties, and their representatives, must not be allowed to incite violence, particularly when violence has already left a number of people injured, destroyed property and disrupted the academic year indefinitely for many young South Africans.”
Cassim added that students needed support and motivation for peaceful engagement and dialogue.
Responding to the statement, EFF Student Command spokesperson, Peter Keetse, said the DA “does not know what they are talking about”.
“Firstly, we do not have a youth command. We have a Student Command and the person they have identified is not our leader. He is not in the leadership of the student command. He is a normal member.”
When asked on his response to the petrol bomb post, Keetse said: “All I can say is that the white people do not understand there is a revolution of the youth again.
"Our country has too many differences economically. Black people are still living with families living on a few thousand if not less every month.
“People will stand up and fight. No person can control people fighting for economic freedom. Yes, we have freedom, but what about economic freedom?" he asked.
"The black man has been angry for 22 years. The white man are conniving with the modern ANC. They want to be self-proclaimed messiahs.”
