South Africans habitually vote weary pensioners into Parliament, and this habit of voting the older folks into positions of power should change, starting with the August 3 local government elections, according to EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) parliamentarian Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

“We are young like that in the EFF. We are also good-looking. There is a problem of ageism in Parliament as you know. Our people vote for pensioners and pensioners have a natural relationship with fatigue. They have a relationship with tiredness and therefore they take the job of doing the job for you in Parliament as a retirement package,” Ndlozi told Pretoria central residents.

“They sleep. You must send us while we still have energy like Obakeng Ramabodu (EFF council candidate for a Pretoria CBD ward) so that we can go and fight for you. Stop voting for old men and women who sleep in Parliament. When we are discussing in Parliament they sleep because they are not part of the future we are talking about.”

He said the EFF was fielding young and vibrant candidates in the upcoming municipal elections, who would change the lives of millions of South Africans living in squalor.

“Our people live in absolute proximity to rubbish. They live like pigs and dogs because they have politicians who no longer see the value of your vote. That’s why they change nothing for five years. Your votes are the ones that made us. Your votes are the ones that made Jacob Zuma,” said Ndlozi.

“They have forgotten, that is why they are arrogant. We all grew up loving the ANC (African National Congress). For the last 20 years, this ANC is not recognisable. It is not the ANC of people or of integrity anymore. It’s now the ANC of boyfriends and girlfriends. It’s now the ANC of family members, blessers and blessees. Only the EFF is fighting genuinely for black people now.”

Regarding the frequent skirmishes in Parliament, Ndlozi said the EFF is constantly “confronted with foolishness”.

“The Bible says do not argue with a fool, and in there, all we are confronted with is foolishness. Literal foolishness. You stand up and say a minister is sleeping and you are told that that’s not a point of order. Are we paid to sleep?” said Ndlozi.

“We will run this city like a real capital. We will move that capital city to come here (to Pretoria). It doesn’t make sense to have two capital cities. There at Parliament they beat us and carry us out like bags of oranges. They have professionalised and institutionalised hooliganism in Parliament. Those guys (Parliament Protection Services) are professional hooligans. They live in the gym. Every day they train to hit people.”

After his address, Ndlozi led hundreds of EFF supporters on a march along several Pretoria central streets, heading to SAPS Pretoria central to hand over a memorandum as the EFF is complaining about what they called rampant crime in the city centre.