EFF MP Andile Mngxitama had to be escorted out of a hotel in Cape Town where he was due to hold a press conference ahead of the state-of-the-nation address today.
Social media Twitter was abuzz with posts about fights breaking out at the Cape Sun Hotel between Economic Freedom Fighters members and supporters of Mngxitama.
The EFF members refused to leave the venue and said they wanted to hear what Mngxitama had to say.
According to Mngxitama's press alert sent earlier, the press briefing would clarify "Why some of the EFF MP's can't sing #paybackthemoney".
The EFF has vowed to disrupt President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation address on Thursday unless a special sitting of the National Assembly is scheduled before then for him to answer questions about the upgrades to his private homestead in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.
Photos posted on Twitter showed Mngxitama being whisked away from the venue by his supporters.
Mngxitama later tweeted: "I'm alive. The press briefing shall happen today." and "Thanks to those fighters who protected me against the uninformed fighters."
He also confirmed to Sapa that the press conference would still go ahead.
"Yes, I was assaulted. I will call another media briefing," he said.
In an interview with news channel ANN7 after the incident, Mgxitama said people had learnt from the ANC to beat each other up for holding different views.
"We see political parties are at war because they do not want to hear the truth about themselves... we're going to break down this culture of being allergic to the truth," he told the broadcaster.
Mngxitama has been at loggerheads with the party leadership following the tense elective conference in December last year.
He declined nomination and told Malema to "protect the revolution" during the conference. His "revolutionary consciousness" would not allow him to accept nomination, he said then.
Last week, Mngxitama criticised the EFF for allowing convicted North West party leader Papiki Babuile to run the party from behind bars.
Babuile was recently convicted of the murder of African National Congress regional secretary David Chika in 2012. He is appealing against his 12-year sentence.
Mngxitama's press conference disrupted
Social media Twitter was abuzz with posts about fights breaking out at the Cape Sun Hotel between Economic Freedom Fighters members and supporters of Mngxitama.
The EFF members refused to leave the venue and said they wanted to hear what Mngxitama had to say.
According to Mngxitama's press alert sent earlier, the press briefing would clarify "Why some of the EFF MP's can't sing #paybackthemoney".
The EFF has vowed to disrupt President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation address on Thursday unless a special sitting of the National Assembly is scheduled before then for him to answer questions about the upgrades to his private homestead in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.
Photos posted on Twitter showed Mngxitama being whisked away from the venue by his supporters.
Mngxitama later tweeted: "I'm alive. The press briefing shall happen today." and "Thanks to those fighters who protected me against the uninformed fighters."
He also confirmed to Sapa that the press conference would still go ahead.
"Yes, I was assaulted. I will call another media briefing," he said.
In an interview with news channel ANN7 after the incident, Mgxitama said people had learnt from the ANC to beat each other up for holding different views.
"We see political parties are at war because they do not want to hear the truth about themselves... we're going to break down this culture of being allergic to the truth," he told the broadcaster.
Mngxitama has been at loggerheads with the party leadership following the tense elective conference in December last year.
He declined nomination and told Malema to "protect the revolution" during the conference. His "revolutionary consciousness" would not allow him to accept nomination, he said then.
Last week, Mngxitama criticised the EFF for allowing convicted North West party leader Papiki Babuile to run the party from behind bars.
Babuile was recently convicted of the murder of African National Congress regional secretary David Chika in 2012. He is appealing against his 12-year sentence.
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