Wednesday was D-day for SA's political parties
"Nelson Mandela's ANC, the real one, was buried with him. Now it's just Zuma's African National Criminals," Malema told a crowd gathered in Kliptown, Soweto.
Malema was introducing advocate Dali Mpofu to the party as its Gauteng premier candidate.
"Mandela is sleeping with the real ANC. May his soul rest in peace."
Malema said the EFF chose Kliptown as its venue because it is where the fight for freedom took place.
"Let the fight for economic freedom also start here."
'Scared'
He said the party's tent which was erected in Thokoza, south of Johannesburg, had been burned down by the African National Congress.
"… but don't fear, they are only burning the tent because they are scared.
"If we were nobodies they would not have burnt our tent."
He urged EFF supporters not to retaliate but to rather pray for the ruling party.
"These people are sick, they need prayer."
The stage and marquee set up for an EFF rally in Thokoza was petrol bombed on Saturday.
"Police and the EFF were tipped off [on Friday] about threats of disruption by ANC members [but] we thought the disruption would happen during the event," EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said at the time.
ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu rejected the accusation.
"We never do such things. This is an unfair accusation," Mthembu said.
Brigadier Neville Malila said police were investigating the incident.
No future
Residents in Kliptown, Soweto, believe there is no future or hope in the township.
"We have no future or hope here," Lydia Baloyi (43) told the crowd.
"We vote thinking the party will help us but we have no toilets."
She said there was no electricity in their homes.
"I share my two roomed house with three kids.
"If [EFF leader Julius] Malema wants us to vote for him, I want him to help us and do what we ask him to."
Baloyi had written a letter to Malema. Upon arrival at the township Malema asked her tell the crowd what she had written about.
Listening to the people
Malema said the EFF had become a party that listens to the people.
He said when people asked the government for RDP housing, they were asked for sex in exchange.
"Never trust criminals with your vote. It is Nomvula's job to repair these houses," he said referring to Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane.
He said the R2.8-million spent on President Jacob Zuma's swimming pool in Nkandla could have been used to build a clinic in the township.
"But they built one in Zuma's yard instead. Your president doesn't want you people, he wants his own private clinic."
'Beware of them'
He said the money spent on the pool could have been used to build better schools for the children in Kliptown, and better houses.
"We could have built flushing toilets. You people in Gauteng, 20 years into democracy, still don't have a flushing toilet. I, coming from Limpopo, have a flushing toilet at home.
He said residents should not be fooled by the ANC's election strategies.
"They will come here and kiss the grannies and remind them how far [the party] has come."
He said EFF was a party which remembered those that others had forgotten about.
He said the ANC would only come to Kliptown after seeing the EFF there.
"Wherever EFF goes, the ANC follows. Beware of them. Maybe this visit will cause them to do something good [in the area]." – Sapa