EFF leader Julius Malema. Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)
THE POLICE and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has blasted EFF leader Julius Malema for his threats to visit police officers in their homes to fight them after the ill-treatment of his party’s members and women during protests.
On Sunday, Malema complained the police had been colluding with the white community and abused EFF members in its recent protests against racism in Senekal in the Free State, and in Brackenfell, Cape Town.
Malema said the party would retaliate by visiting cops individually in their homes.
“If SA police want a fight they must declare it. We will treat them the same way we treated them in the ’80s. We will not only fight them at the picket lines. We will go to their homes and fight them in their own houses with their own families,” Malema said.
Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo condemned Malema’s remarks as dangerous and irresponsible.
“Just as he has done before, verbally attacking the character of our men and women in blue in September for acting out their duties, to an extent where he even labelled their boots as stinky, he has this time around taken his insults to another level, wherein he is encouraging direct violence against members of the SAPS and their families,” Mamabolo said.
He accused Malema of indirectly calling for lawlessness.
“For a person like Mr Malema, who is also a public representative, to stoop so low and put the lives and families of law enforcement officers at such potential risk, is highly irresponsible.
“This also happens at a time when we have been pleading with the populace to assist in the fight against police killings, which are on the rise,” Mamabolo said.