POLL | Do you think Malema really controls the political narrative?

EFF leader Julius Malema’s claim that he “runs the country” and controls its political narrative has drawn debate and mixed reactions.

Speaking during a sitting of the National Assembly this week, Malema said his party’s national shutdown on Monday was a success and showed he was “in charge”.

“The EFF proved once more who is in charge in this country. When you said to business, ‘it’s business as usual, open your shops, I said close: they closed.

“I’m in charge, I’ve got you by the scrotum. There is nothing you can do, nothing, all of you combined. You can scream anyhow you want, once more I demonstrated to you; black opposition, white opposition with the ruling party combined, I’m in charge and I want that to sink in,” said Malema.

While some agreed that he was dictating politics in the country, others said he was just making noise.

The EFF leader's claim comes two years after Malema made similar comments during a debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address.

Amid claims of abuse and heckling from MPs during his address, Malema said he was running parliament.

“I never said I won’t answer the question. So I’m reading my speech, no-one is going to tell me what to do, at what time, I am in charge, that’s why these fools are running around.

“I’ve got the ruling party by the scrotum, I’m in charge, I’m running the house,” he said.

The EFF had earlier claimed victory in the shutdown, saying ground forces came out in their numbers to protest against the “incompetent government of [President] Cyril Ramaphosa in the face of intimidation and violence by police and military personnel”.

It alleged the economy came to a standstill because South Africa was “tired of Ramaphosa’s lies”.

“He and the ANC said it is business as usual, yet businesses are closed, meaning workers and the people of South Africa refused to listen to the lies.”

Others, including ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, said it was the “biggest flop”.

“The EFF's plans of shutdown through chaos has failed. They are left isolated in many parts of the country; their attempt to incite insurrection by using [the] electricity crisis has failed.

“South Africans have rejected the EFF shutdown. Not that they don’t have issues against government, [but] we will fix load-shedding and many other challenges working with our citizens,” he said.