News24.com | 'Not incitement of violence': EFF downplays Mpumalanga leader posing with semi-automatic rifle

Collen Sedibe posing with a firearm.

• Economic Freedom Fighters leader in Mpumalanga Collen Sedibe posted a photo of himself posing in his red regalia with a semi-automatic rifle.
• Sedibe, who is also an MPL, captioned the photo: "By all means necessary or possible we are ready."
• EFF national spokesperson dismissed the post as meaningless and said it did not incite violence. 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has downplayed a photo of its Mpumalanga leader posing with a rifle, saying it does not constitute incitement of violence.

Collen Sedibe, who is a member of the provincial legislature posted the photo on his Twitter account on Saturday night, with the caption: "By all means necessary or possible we are ready @EFFSouthAfrica."

In the photo, he dons his red regalia and holds the semi-automatic rifle in one hand, while his other hand rests in his pocket.

This post comes two weeks before the EFF's national shutdown on 20 March, to protest against continuous load shedding and to call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.

When News24 reached out to Sedibe on Sunday to confirm the firearm was real and to ask what his intentions were, he immediately dismissed the questions, mumbling, "I have nothing to say." He ended the call abruptly.

A defence expert identified the firearm as a SAIGA 223 semi-automatic rifle.

Citizens can buy the rifle if they have the correct licence. Online shops list its price between R15 000 and R20 000.

EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Tambo said he saw nothing wrong with the post.

"I have seen the picture and I see no reason for me to comment on this. In my knowledge everyone has the right to a firearm as long as it is licensed," Tambo said. 

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When News24 asked Tambo if EFF members were encouraging citizens to be violent during the planned shutdown, he said there was no correlation between the post and the protest.

"I see nothing wrong with this picture. I see no incitement of violence in the picture as nobody is being targeted. There is no correlation between the picture and the shutdown. Nowhere does it say bare guns," he said. 

Tambo said they would not be acting on this matter. 

Provincial legislature spokesperson Paul Mbenyane was asked if any action would be taken against Sedibe.

He said: "I think the best people to handle this matter are the police, as they [are the] ones to make a determination if it is a legal or illegal firearm and they then would act from there."