Julius Malema has told supporters that he would not mind losing the elections if he did so on principle. Speaking to thousands of EFF supporters at the Dlomo Stadium, in Emfuleni, Gauteng, Malema said the EFF was not going to Parliament to be corrupt or steal, but that the party was headed there to defend the rights of black people.

“Let’s lose the elections on principle. If telling the truth will lose us elections, then let it be,” said Malema.

“We will defend the rights of black people who continue to suffer at the hands of whites,” he said. “Let’s not gather to lie, like some,” Malema said.

The EFF leader said the ruling party thrives on corruption and that the EFF was taking all the keys to the safe.

“We will also take the keys to Emfuleni Municipality because it’s being run by corrupt people,” said Malema. He said the party will easily take Gauteng should the people of Emfuleni Municipality vote EFF.

He said ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa had blood on his hands, arguing that he was responsible for the Marikana killings.

Malema also expressed displeasure at the day being named Human Rights Day and said it should be called Sharpeville Day.

“Today is not Human Rights Day, it’s Sharpeville Day, its a day for celebrating the rights of black people,” said Malema.

“They call it Human Rights Day so that they can distort the history of our country. This is not Human Rights Day, it’s our day,” he said.

Malema took pleasure in punching holes in the ANC failures in the Emfuleni Municipality, telling his supporters that he had keys to the safe, therefore, the ANC would not be able to steal.

“The days of random braais are over. They will eat meat only in December just like you,” said Malema.

Malema told his supporters that none of these failures would have been witnessed in the municipality if Robert Sobukwe was still alive. He said they would not experience load shedding nor would they have fight for free education.

“The ongoing load shedding did not scare you because you (already) use unreliable power in this area,” he said.

“Now schools have just closed and your children are already missing school, not because they love school, but because they miss the food in school because there is no food at home,” he said.

Malema, in full electioneering mode, said under the EFF leadership no child would be allowed to starve, at home and at school.

“The Vaal river is polluted, where is Sobukwe? Our people should be forgiven for thinking that this government is worse than the apartheid government,” he said.

Human Rights Day is held in commemoration of the 21 March Sharpeville massacre. On the day in 1960, following protests against pass laws, police opened fire on a crowd of about 7,000 killing 69 people and injuring 180 others.

Malema said the people of Sharpeville were still traumatised by the killings. “We need to take all of them for counselling. They did not care about the trauma because you are black people and a black life must be permanently traumatised. We need to restore the dignity of black people,” Malema said.

Hundreds of people turned up to hear Malema speak on Thursday.

“I came to listen to the CIC. I’m a proud EFF member and we want people to vote EFF so that Malema becomes president. Malema is the advocate of free education and we also seek economic freedom which only the EFF can provide,” said 22-year-old Sivuyisiwe Qwesha, a student at the Vaal University of Technology.

Mihlali Mene, 20, also a student at the Vaal University of Technology said she was a first-time voter and was excited about giving her vote to the EFF.

“I’m a fighter. I’ve registered to vote for the first time. Judging by the EFF manifesto the youth will be well looked after under the leadership of the EFF. If EFF is going to rule, the youth will have a great future. I also came for the spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s inspiring songs. I believe the EFF should be given a chance, because since the advent of democracy the ANC has been in charge, but there is no improvement in ordinary people’s lives,” said Mene.

Kenny Motsamai, a former military commander of the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (Apla), who spent 27 years in jail for killing a white traffic officer, was also in attendance. Motsamai resurrected his political career by joining the EFF after his release. Motsamai told EFF supporters how political prisoners were neglected by the government.

“I spent 24 years with the ANC,” Motsamai said. He said 47 PAC leaders and 50 political uMkhonto weSizwe prisoners were still behind bars. He said they asked him to approach Malema for assistance. He said he was granted amnesty with conditions, yet no such conditions were attached to the release of some white people.

Malema said his party will fight Motsamai’s criminal record. Malema refused to call it a criminal record.

“You are in the same league as Nelson Mandela. You are in the same league as Tokyo Sexwale. Yours is not a criminal record, but a political record. If you can celebrate Tokyo Sexwale why can’t you celebrate Motsamai?” Malema asked.

Swinging back to present-day politics, Malema said he did not care about those who were complaining about him.

“I don’t have time for people who worship whites,” he said. He told his supporters not to listen to people who say that if the EFF were to rule the country would be like Zimbabwe.

“Tell them you are worse than Zimbabwe. You are poor, Zimbabwe is poor. You are uneducated, but Zimbabweans are educated. You don’t have land, but Zimbabweans have land,” said Malema.

Malema warned his supporters against drugs and alcohol and said this would make them lose focus.

“You cannot find work in taverns,” he said.

Malema also expressed his displeasure with the issue of Gauteng e-tolls. He asked his supporters to give the party a mandate on the issue so that it could be carried out like every other mandate.

“We said you must send us to Parliament so that we can remove Zuma, where is Zuma today? Where are the Guptas today? We said if you send us to Parliament we will push for a minimum wage, and we did,” said Malema.

On the e-tolls Malema said the EFF would not only remove them legally, but would also physically bring them down.

Malema listed a number of his party’s triumphs in Parliament. He said his party also pushed for the privatisation of the Reserve Bank and that process was underway. He said the party was also mandated to demand land and that legislation to enable this has already been passed.

“All because of the EFF,” Malema said.

Malema warned against the abuse of women, gays, lesbians and children and said when the EFF was in charge, perpetrators would be sent to jail. He said when his party is in charge pensioners won’t pay for electricity and water and will double their pensions.

“If they tell you Malema will take away social grants, never listen. If they ask you where the money to double the grants will come from, tell them there is a lot of money,” He said the money would come from scraping deputy ministers in the cabinet.

“Bosasa is where the money will come from,” Malema said.

Malema said politicking on principle meant the party should be honest, deliver on time and not steal. He warned his supporters against loving T-shirts, especially the yellow T-shirt.

“Stop longing for the yellow T-shirts while your children starve. Stop loving the T-shirts more than the future of your children,” Malema said. DM