Malema lashes out at "racist" JSE

“What is the point of applying to be here if we will be closed out,” Malema said at the end of a day-long march by tens of thousands of EFF supporters against what he had termed “white capital”.

Led by Malema, the crowd, numbering as many as 40,000, had already marched on the South African Reserve Bank and the Chamber of Mines before coming to its final stop at the JSE.

Malema said that the marchers had been welcomed at the Reserve Bank and the Chambers of Mines but not at the JSE.

“You can’t treat us like strangers in our own country,” he said. “We are human beings and must be treated with respect.”

Floyd Shivhambu proceeded to read out the demands that they were handing over to the JSE.

Among the demands were that all companies must give meaningful shares to their employees, all JSE companies must pay a minimum wage of R4,500 while all mine workers must get a minimum of R12,500 and R5,000 minimum for farm workers and those in the retail sector.

The EFF also called for the total ban on labour broking practices and said retail stores should source 70 percent of its products from South African businesses.

Shivambu said they were seeking a response within 30 days,

“If we don’t get our response we will shut down companies that are listed on the JSE and no amount of security will hold us back,” he said.

A JSE official told the crowd that they would look at the memorandum that was submitted and would discuss it with the leadership of the EFF.

Earlier, a huge crowd of EFF supporters had slowly snaked its way through Johannesburg on a trek of almost 20 kilometres.

There was a brief moment of panic when a number of EFF supporters broke through a gate at the JSE complex but a large police contingent quickly restored order.

The EFF supporters had broken through a security barrier, kicking down the temporary fence, and then proceeded to camp right outside the main entrance of the JSE.

Moments before arriving at the JSE, Shivhambu announced to the crowd that they were passing the American embassy and that the American government was the enemy of the struggle.

“America is not our friend, it is the friend of the current government ANC,” Shivhambu said.

He said the JSE needed to respond to their demands because American companies had been exploiting South Africans for years.

“Americans have been bullying our government so that they can drop tariffs and dump their products,” Shivambu charged.

A small group of about 100 EFF supporters, singing and dancing with their placards, had been waiting patiently at the corners of Maude Street and Rivonia Road in Sandton for the main body of marchers and Malema and the rest of the EFF leadership to arrive.

The EFF march had started at the Mary Fitzgerald Square on Tuesday morning and with most clad in the party’s signature red t-shirts, the march turned Johannesburg streets into a sea of red.

Malema had earlier criticised the Chamber of Mines, saying they should be ashamed of miners’ deaths on their watch. He also accused South Africa’s mining sector of continuing to kill and exploit workers.

He also called on the South African Reserve Bank to speak to the country’s banks over the issue of high bank charges, saying that people who withdrew cash at retailer Pick n Pay were not charged, but for the same transaction banks charged fees. - ANA