EFF Tshwane Regional Chairperson Obakeng Ramabodu. Picture: Jacques Naude/African News Agency (ANA)
Pretoria - The DA at the University of Pretoria has hauled the EFF Student Command to the SA Human Rights Commission.
The party filled papers with the Chapter 9 institution against members of the red berets last week on Thursday after ordinary students were allegedly refused entry into the campus by protesting EFF members.
Recently the Pretoria News reported that eight EFF Student Command SRC candidates were disqualified by the university’s Independent Election Monitoring Board after being accused of violating the election rules.
The SAHRC failed to respond to confirm to Pretoria News whether they had received the complaint from the DA student organisation.
Its national spokesperson, Wisani Baloyi, told Pretoria News he had referred questions to Gauteng manager Zamantungwa Mbeki but had not responded by time of publication.
In a statement the DA accused Julius Malema’s student wing of racism, saying members allowed students to gain access to the Hatfield campus of the university based on their race.
“Serious intervention is necessary.
“This complaint with the SAHRC aims to address the violation of students’ constitutional right to education. We are calling for the SAHRC to ensure that the EFF is deregistered as a political party, for its clear human rights abuse.
“Furthermore victims of these acts deserve compensation while the involved EFF councillors must be suspended from public office,” DA Student Organisation (Daso) federal leader, Liam Jacobs said.
He added that their members of legislature, Crezane Bosch and Ruhan Robinson were also committed to write to the speaker of council in Tshwane and the MEC of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the province.
Jacobs further called for the removal of the EFF’s regional chairperson, Obakeng Ramabodu, for interfering in student politics.
“He should be expelled from the council, and we demand that urgent intervention take place. Obakeng has clearly breached the code of conduct in terms of the Structures Act.
“In light of the rightful disqualification of their SRC candidates, the EFFSC illegally protested around the Hatfield campus of the University of Pretoria alongside the EFF, with Obakeng telling students that “only black students” may enter campus.
“Human rights, as per the Constitution, are non-negotiable. There is no debating that point, and the DA and Daso will not rest until those responsible for these acts of racism are held to account,” Jacobs said.
Efforts to reach the EFF’s Ramabodu were fruitless. Last week the university’s management director in the Department of Institutional Advancement, Rikus Delport, confirmed EFF Student Command candidates were disqualified by the Independent Monitoring Board for regulation violations.
Pretoria News