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BLF's Mngxitama blames media for his poor performance at the polls

Black First Land First (BLF) leader Andile Mngxitama has blamed the media for his party's dismal showing at the polls so far.

BLF, participating in the elections for the first time since it was founded in October 2015, had garnered 0.08% of the national vote, or 6 515 votes by Thursday afternoon.

Mngxitama also blamed his detractors for having wasted his campaigning time by dragging him and his party to court.

In its bid to have the BLF de-registered, the FF Plus approached the Electoral Court last Monday where it argued that its registration was not published in the Government Gazette.

The party had previously approached the IEC appealing the decision of the chief electoral officer's decision to have the BLF registered as a political party, News24 earlier reported.

We are banned everywhere

"Voices such as the Black First Land First must not be heard. We are banned everywhere. We are banned largely in the media. I can't speak at Wits University. I was invited by the students and the university said no, I can't speak. As I speak to you right now, my Twitter account has been shut down.

"My Facebook account is being suspended. At the height of the elections, we had no access to means of communications. General South African media is taking the same position because we are trying to bring into the public a narrative which is pro-black. Why do you think ANN7 was shut down?" Mngxitama asked.

READ: BLF eyes 10 seats in Parliament, seeks to unite all 'black parties'

"Even in these elections, we would have worked completely differently if we had access to media which is sympathetic. EFF and ANC said they both want land expropriation without compensation, they did not do anything about it. They promised and didn't deliver and lied. No party has been raising that except for ourselves.

"The media has not been helping us. The media should have went on its own and said to them, you can't promise people and not do it and come back and campaign and not give people land."

In an interview with News24 on Monday, the BLF leader said he hoped his party garnered enough votes for 10 seats in the National Assembly.

Mngxitama said on Wednesday the  BLF was a revolutionary movement that would not be stopped by powerful people in the society. 

"What happened is that white people voted for the FF Plus and our people didn't vote for us. It means our people perhaps are not ready for the message we stand for. We are the party of the future, we are not quitting. The good thing is, I believe we have reached a large constituency that know we exist. We are going to surprise a lot of people and we belong to the future," he said. 

Find everything you need to know about the 2019 National and Provincial Government Elections at our News24 Elections site, including the latest news and detailed, interactive maps for how South Africa has voted over the past 3 elections. Make sure your News24 app is updated to access all our elections coverage in one place. 

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