Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema. Picture: THE TIMES
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema. Picture: THE TIMES

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ECONOMIC Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema accused the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of "shenanigans" in the Gauteng provincial vote, saying the ANC "knows that in reality they lost the province".

Mr Malema addressed a press conference on Saturday following the release of the preliminary results of the 2014 national and provincial elections.

The ANC’s results in the economically vital Gauteng decreased from 64.04% in 2009 to 53.59%, the party’s worst provincial performance in 2014.

Mr Malema called on EFF supporters, however, to accept the outcome of the elections.

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"They say that the ANC took a big knock in Gauteng and that they had lost support, but the reality is that they lost the province," he said.

On Friday night EFF, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and ANC supporters clashed in the Johannesburg township of Alexandra. An Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) tent was burned down and a number of people were injured and some were taken into custody by the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The police had used the army as back up to contain the situation, with troops deployed in armoured vehicles at crossroads in the township in order to restrict the movement of people.

On Saturday Mr Malema still managed to congratulate the ANC on winning the election with 62% of the votes and said that life should go on for the sake of the country.

"…even the Alexandra mafia knows they (the ANC) have lost the province," he said.

He committed his party members, who would go to Parliament, to upholding their working class roots, saying they would ignore the legislature’s dress code of suits and ties and wear (red) overalls.

"Parliament must work and not debate irrelevant things," he said.

Mr Malema refused to answer a media question about the sequestration issue that is hanging over his head. He however again accused the ANC of targeting him, adding he wanted the matter dealt with before the elections. "They wanted me to go into these elections with a dark cloud hanging over me."

"I engage in an effective struggle against corruption ... I am unable to do this when charged."

The deadline for him to pay an outstanding tax bill of R16m is May 26.

However, Mr Malema said he would be leading his party in Parliament for the first sitting of the National Assembly on April 21.

On the EFF’s Parliamentary plan, Mr Malema said it may support the ANC if they wanted a two-thirds majority to change the constitution for land expropriation without compensation and they may support the Democratic Alliance (DA) if that party wanted to continue with its motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.

The EFF will have about 25 seats in the 400-member National Assembly, the ANC will have 249 and the DA 89 seats.

Mr Malema dismissed that the rise of the EFF could be compared with that of the Congress of the People (COPE), saying that party had two faces while the EFF only had one — that was for the upliftment of the poor and working class.

He added that the party’s performance had come despite "us not having former premiers". "We did not have former premiers ... we did not have millionaires".

When Mr Zuma visited the IEC’s national results operations centre on Wednesday evening it was noticed by the media and other observers that he appeared to deliberately snub the EFF desk. Mr Zuma did make a point of greeting politicians and representatives of all the other parties present at the time.

Mr Malema dismissed that instance of not having any significance, saying that maybe Mr Zuma just forgot, adding that he people "want electricity and houses" not to know if the president was greeting the EFF.