EFF leader Julius Malema has come out guns blazing, criticising the government for entering into “negotiations” to relax its Covid-19 lockdown regulations.

In a scathing social media post on Thursday, Malema said: “If the state is not going to be firm and not negotiate with any non-essential sector of the economy for relaxation of lockdown regulations, this lockdown will collapse, barbarism will emerge and the deadly coronavirus will spread like wildfire: millions will die. Stop it cowards.”

This comes after transport minister Fikile Mbalula relaxed the 21-day lockdown regulations for taxi drivers.

At the beginning of the lockdown taxis were allowed to carry only a 50% load. But, after complaints from the taxi industry, Mbalula announced on Wednesday that taxis would be allowed to carry a 100% load of passengers, provided all passengers wore face masks.

Then, in a swift U-turn later the same day, Mbalula decided taxis would only be allowed to ferry a 70% load of passengers – with or without masks.