Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says the media unfairly project his party as violent, when the ruling African National Congress (ANC) should instead take the mantle as a violent political party.

Malema was addressing journalists at the party’s national list conference for local government election candidates in Midrand on Monday.

Calling out the media, Malema said: "The media has taken the side of the oppressor. History will judge you harshly."

Malema said too many media reports negatively portrayed his party. He claimed the ANC was, in fact, the most violent party in the country.

"I’m still to be shown the violence of the EFF. What did the EFF do? Did the EFF shoot? Which meeting did the EFF disrupt of another political party? The way we are projected is unfair. The most violent party is the ANC, yet they are projected as being the victim."

'We do not fight back'

He went on to say that the EFF had "fearless people" within its ranks.

"When [our members] are shot, when bottles and stones are thrown at them, they do not disappear. They remain there. But we do not fight back. Yet the SA media has portrayed the EFF as the most violent party."

Malema added that media headlines saying tensions existed between the ANC and EFF were false. He suggested that the ANC provoked the EFF.

"What tensions? We secure a venue. We have permission to be there. Then the ANC comes and disrupts our meeting. There is no single headline that says ANC disrupts EFF meeting. When the ANC throws stones, we take out a white flag and say it is unnecessary."