Four leaders of a new political party in South Africa have been arrested on Tuesday after police fired rubber bullets to disperse a protest organised by the party’s leadership.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), headed by Julius Malema, the expelled Leader of the Youth wing of the ruling African National Congress, said in a statement that an unspecified number of its members were injured in the march near the main government buildings in the capital, Pretoria.
The incident highlights the level of tensions building ahead of general elections next year.
Police confirmed the incident, saying the march was illegal because no permission had been granted in advance.
“People planned to march and the police intervened because it was illegal and then the protesters became violent and rubber bullets were fired. Four suspects were arrested,” police spokesman Tsekiso Mofokeng told Reuters.
EFF, whose members wear red berets, said it was marching to support people who faced eviction from a squatter camp.
“It is evident that South Africa is turning into a police state and community struggles will continue to be met with police brutality and oppression,” EFF said in its statement.
The party, which advocates nationalization of South Africa’s mines and banks and the seizure of white-owned land for redistribution to poor blacks, is trying to appeal to impoverished black voters who have seen little improvement to their living standards since apartheid ended two decades ago.
Analysts don’t see the EFF posing a serious challenge to the ANC, which has been dominant since the end of apartheid, but it may tap a deep well of resentment and grab some votes among the poor and unemployed in a country with glaring income disparities and a jobless rate of over 25 per cent.
The fiery Malema remains one of the country’s most recognizable politicians and EFF activists are becoming increasingly visible on recruiting drives in poor communities.
Malema, who was described by the ANC as a troublemaker before his expulsion last year, seemed unfazed by charges of racketeering that could still see him jailed over murky state tender deals.
