EFF leader Julius Malema and deputy president Floyd Shivambu. Picture: RUSSELL ROBERTS
EFF leader Julius Malema and deputy president Floyd Shivambu. Picture: RUSSELL ROBERTS

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THE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has refused to tone down its criticism of the Gupta-owned The New Age newspaper and ANN7 news network and issued yet another strident statement on Sunday against the family that is close to President Jacob Zuma and the media it owns.

Last week EFF leader Julius Malema, during a press briefing in Johannesburg, banned journalists who worked for The New Age and ANN7 from future EFF events.

He said the Gupta family was using its media entities as a propaganda machine for Mr Zuma.

Mr Malema told journalists that the EFF could not guarantee their safety should journalists from The New Age and ANN7 defy the ban.

He was widely condemned, with commentators saying although the party had the right to expose threats to media freedom, threatening the safety of journalists was unconstitutional.

On Sunday the EFF issued a letter standing by the remarks made by Mr Malema at the press briefing last week.

However, the party said it was not holding the journalists responsible for their employers.

The letter was in response to a statement by The New Age and ANN7 editor-in-chief Moegsien Williams in which he described Mr Malema as the Donald Trump of SA.

Mr Williams called on "freedom-loving" democrats to condemn Mr Malema’s attack on journalists.

"We are now obviously looking at measures to ensure our employees are afforded the right to continue their work, unhindered and without any fear of violence against them. We are also looking at steps to protect the rights of our employees, shareholders as well as our property," said Mr Williams on Sunday.

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