EFF threatens to protest against Khama

Thato Kala | Tuesday November 25, 2014 14:06

Government added five more EFF members onto the list of South Africans needing Visas to visit Botswana citing security reasons.

Andile Mngixtama, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Floyd Shivambu, Dali Mpofu and Magdalene Moonsamy will now need to apply for a Visa before travelling to Botswana.

Previously EFF Commander in Chief Julius Malema had been the only South African who needed a Visa to travel to Botswana.

He was barred in 2011 after calling for the removal of President Ian Khama, saying his government was a ‘puppet regime’ in 2011.

In September this year, Malema was denied a Visa and therefore could not attend an election campaign rally for the opposition party, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), to which he was invited as key speaker.

EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said Botswana’s behaviour was motivated by Khama’s hatred for the EFF. He labelled Khama a dictator and non-democrat.

“Botswana is led by a dictator who is a non-democrat and whose hatred for the EFF is warranted by his hatred for economic freedom.

“Our ideas have travelled to Botswana; there will come a time when he will be defied.

If he ever travels to South Africa we will make it a point that he is met by protest,” Ndlozi told the South African media yesterday.

But earlier this week, Labour and Home Affairs Minister, Edwin Batshu denied the five were listed because of their party affiliations.

He maintained the listings follow recommendations from security agents in his country.

“The five names will be required to access a visa when entering Botswana,” he said.

He, however, would not go into detail on the reasons behind the listing.

Government spokesperson, Dr Jeff Ramsay said government’s focus was yesterday’s bi-national commission and EFF were free to go ahead with their protest plans.

“It is not my concern, right now we are in the middle of bi-national commission and that’s their business.

“If they want to protest they can do so. That’s not even my country,” Ramsay said.

The list of blacklisted foreigners is now in the region of 20 with Hollywood actor Rick Yune and his girlfriend Jennifer Lindsey Bell reportedly denied Visas to grace UDC president Duma Boko’s launch before last month’s elections.

EFF were quick to question the credibility of Botswana’s poll on October 25, dismissing the African Union’s approval of the election.

The EFF argued that passing the ‘free and fairness’ verdict based only on the activities of Election Day was ill-judged.

They said the freeness and fairness of elections had to be understood within the entire period since the announcement of the election date by electoral commission.

EFF said Botswana’s ruling party Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) had used authoritarian means to suppress free flow of ideas and criticism.