DA a 'better devil' - Malema
Johannesburg – The EFF was caught between “two devils” in hung municipalities and the party chose the better of the two, party leader Julius Malema said on Wednesday.
"The DA is the better devil," he told reporters in Alexandra.
"We couldn't be neutral, we had to take sides. This is history. We were caught between two devils."
Malema said the party would not enter into coalitions with any party in any municipality in the country, but would vote with certain parties in various councils.
It would vote with the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal’s hung municipalities, and with the DA in the metros of Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Nelson Mandela Bay, he said.
The party was not power hungry or after positions. It did not want hung councils and wanted to ensure service delivery, he said.
“EFF must earn its seats, not get power through shortcuts. No one is going to compromise the EFF at all costs. We are building this organisation, building it slowly, teaching our members not to love positions.”
Malema said those threatening EFF members were resorting to “ANC tendencies” of fighting for positions.
He lambasted the ANC and said its leaders were arrogant and putting individual needs ahead of those of the country.
We are not in agreement, just offering votes
Malema said there was no political agreement between the Economic Freedom Fighters and the parties they are giving their votes to in councils.
"There is no agreement, we have offered them support," said Malema.
He said the party chose to do that as they were not power hungry and not after positions. He said he wanted the people to elect the EFF into power through proper channels.
"We are saying let the EFF not assume power through a method that is not a popular mandate. The people must say you deserve it. If not it means the people have rejected what you stand for. We do not suffer from uncontrollable ambitions for power. We will influence the municipalities from opposition benches," said Malema.
He rejoiced when he said they were happy that President Jacob Zuma would be working and living in municipalities run by another organisations.
"What makes me happy is that Zuma is staying in a municipality not run by the ANC, working in a municipality not run by the ANC," he said.
No coalition deals
Earlier, Malema told the press conference on Wednesday that the party would not be going into coalitions with any party.
"There is no deal between the ANC and EFF. There is no deal between EFF and DA," Malema told reporters in Alexandra.
He said the party leadership had held numerous meetings with the two parties, but could not agree on certain terms.
Malema said they had put eight conditions on the table, but that the ANC could not meet them.
"We told them we were prepared to work with them if they could meet our demands," he said.
The demands included: Taking their votes and using them to appropriate land without compensation; nationalisation of mines; free education immediately; removal of the Die Stem from the National anthem; eradication of e-tolls; no signing of the nuclear deal; and the removal of President Jacob Zuma as the head of state.
Malema said the ANC had welcomed the input, but had asked for time to meet its collective.
"On all issues, they were not committed. They said there was no nuclear deal at the moment and therefore they couldn't discuss an issue that was not there," said Malema.
Malema said the DA also could not meet their demands. He said the DA had said it did not have powers to expropriate land.
He said they also had asked the DA to support them in removing Die Stem, and not to change the name of Tshwane.
"There is no deal with the DA," he said.
Despite not going into coalitions, Malema said the party would however be voting for the IFP in the hung municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, Forum for Service Delivery in the North West, and the DA in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
This article first appeared on News24.
