‘Impossible’ to regulate election rally numbers, says Malema
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema believes the regulation of gatherings due to Covid-19 would make free and fair elections impossible.
Currently, gatherings are allowed but limited to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors. This includes religious, social, political, and cultural gatherings.
Malema addressed the media at a voter registration and manifesto launch programme in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg on Friday.
The party is launching its official local government election manifesto on 26 September.
Malema said around 20 000 people are expected to attend the rally.
“We are not looking for anything below 20,000. The EFF is in an election campaign. The Constitutional Court said we must proceed with the election after we had advised that we should avoid super-spreader events.
“Elections by their own nature attract numbers, we cannot regulate numbers because we run the risk of offending our own supporters. Which criteria are we going to use to say this one should be allowed at the rally, this one should not be allowed.
“It is practically impossible, and it is a set up to make our supporters angry. There is what we call an election mood, we need to build an election mood to make elections exciting, to make people look forward to voting and we cannot do that if there are no festivities, rallies and mass mobilisation.
“Any other method will lead to elections that are not free and fair,” he said.
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