Niehaus says he has no reason to leave the EFF.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Carl Niehaus says he will not leave the party despite receiving death threats.
Speaking to The Citizen on Thursday Niehaus said he has increased security around himself and his family because of death threats on social media.
The threats have also come through anonymous phone calls.
ALSO READ: Carl Niehaus says he doesn’t regret joining EFF: ‘Stop the patronising messages’
“They are sending me WhatsApps telling me they will mess me up. I used to love to post about my children and I have even stopped that,” he said.
Niehaus said he had been called a paedophile by some of his attackers because he married a young black woman.
Are MK party supporters attacking Niehaus?
However, he said he believed most of the attacks were because of his political choices, especially choosing to remain in the EFF while other prominent people left.
“I have expressed certain views about the MK party. Some of those [threats] come from people who do not like the fact that I expressed those views about the MK party.”
He said some members of the MK party are refusing to accept that he is happy in the EFF and will not leave.
“They have reached the point where they know I am not going to leave and I have articulated my reasons why I am not going to do that, now it’s just attacking,” he said.
Niehaus said he will not leave the EFF when the party needs him the most.
“I will not leave the EFF because of its policies and also because of how the EFF has treated me. The party has treated me exceptionally well,” he said.
He said he had been told by some MK party members that he deserves the threats he is getting.
“Why would they say such things to me? And it makes me wonder if they are not the ones behind this,” he said.
Niehaus said some MK members had even told him to leave the EFF since he did not received any position on the party’s Central Command Team (CCT). However, he said he is not entitled to any position in the EFF.
Niehaus has been a member of the party for a year and represents it in parliament.
“I have been given an opportunity to serve in parliament and I have been embraced by the rank and file of the EFF,” he said.
Relationship with Malema
He said he had a long-standing relationship with EFF leader Julius Malema which stemmed over decades.
“I remember him when he was a teenager coming to Chris Hani’s funeral. He has always been an intelligent young man and I think he is going to be president of South Africa one day,” he said.
Niehaus said he was considering taking legal action against those that abuse him on social media.
‘Try me boys’
On his X account he posted a picture of himself in a t-shirt with the words “try me boys”.
He said he was trained as a combatant and did not fear anything.
“I do not go into areas where I will be exposed,” he said.
The Citizen has contacted the MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela for comment on Niehaus’s suggestion that the party’s members are responsible for the abusive messages. The article will be updated if the comment is received.
ALSO READ: Carl Niehaus writes long letter against his ‘detractors and haters’
