EFF leader Julius Malema has praised the Chippa United Football Club chairman and businessman, Chippa Mpengesi, for refusing to succumb to ANC pressure.
Mpengesi, whose one of his companies manages the Buffalo City Stadium where the EFF held the provincial election manifesto launch for Eastern Cape, apparently came under pressure to block the red berets brigade from using the venue.
According to Malema, who was addressing party loyalists on Human Rights Day, the pressure came from the ANC top brass in the province, which was hellbent on disorganising the EFF’s plans.
However, Malema went on, he was impressed by the bravery of Mpengesi who, despite the business he gets from the ANC-led Eastern Cape government, was able to tell the governing party’s leadership where to get off.
Undue pressure
Sources close to Mpengesi have confirmed that he was indeed subjected to undue pressure.
Malema spilled the beans: “I want to thank Chippa [Mpengesi] who has the tender of managing this stadium.
“When he gave us this stadium, the ANC went to Chippa and said he must remove that permit of the EFF to occupy this stadium.
“At the beginning, Chippa was shaking until the SG [secretary-general] of the EFF came down and said to Chippa, ‘you cannot do that’.
“He came to show him the importance of why he must not be intimidated by criminals, and Chippa was so brave he said to the ANC, ‘I will continue to give the EFF the stadium, I do not need your permission, they have met all the requirements’.”
After the drama, the EFF went on to hold a successful provincial manifesto launch with more than 20 000 people showing up.
EFF victory or else …
The event was also graced with the presence of controversial AbaThembu King, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, who denounced the governing party.
Dalindyebo called the ANC liars who promised a better life for all, only for its elite and their families to be the ones enjoying the niceties of the democratic dispensation.
Borrowing from the popular narrative about the potential for vote-rigging, Dalindyebo told the EFF faithful to “not accept anything less than victory”.
He accused the ANC of having previously won elections by cooking the polls.
This time around, he called on EFF supporters that anything less than EFF victory after the results are announced should be met with “making the country ungovernable”.
The same rhetoric has also been planted by the MK party, specifically its face – former president Jacob Zuma – who also warned his supporters to be extra vigilant.
