With just two months away from the party’s second elective conference, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says everything is on track.
The party is expected to elect leaders of their choice when delegates meet at the Nasrec Conference Centre in December.
Julius Malema’s expulsion from the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League in 2012 marked the end of the road for him in the governing party.
But it was the beginning of a new political life for the firebrand leader.
In 2013, the Economic Freedom Fighters became the new kid on the block in South Africa’s political space. Since its establishment, the party has been the third biggest political party, nationally.
The party policies have been advocating for land expropriation without compensation, and the nationalisation of the mining and banking sectors.
The EFF prides itself in holding the governing party accountable.
“The party has grown from strength to strength. You can’t imagine the politics of South Africa without the EFF. The EFF is the third largest political party in South Africa – the only party that has grown its electoral support significantly; the only party that has put firmly on the agenda, the issue of the land, the issue of the economy, the issue of empowerment of disadvantaged African people in South Africa. Today, everyone speaks of the economic emancipation, particularly of the African people, because of the interventions of the EFF,” says Malema.
Recently, the party has been pushing back against reports alleging some EFF leaders benefitted from the looting of the VBS Mutual Bank.
“We are not in any report of the VBS. There is not any accusations against the leadership of the EFF. The people that are involved in the VBS saga are themselves taking the report on review. Some are beginning to pay what they are owing at VBS and we’ll encourage them to continue paying and to continue to be held responsible and accountable. Law enforcement must act against anyone who is engaged in illegal activities, particularly if it relates to VBS. VBS is a political weapon used against the EFF. 98% of the money till today, we don’t know who took the money. People are emphasising 2% which has gone to Brain Shivambu, the younger brother of Floyd Shivambu. If it was indeed a fight against corruption why are we not also focusing on the 98% of the people who took that money,” says Malema.
With two months to go to the elective conference, Malema says it’s all systems go.
“Well, we are ready. The conference will take place in December at Nasrec. We are done with the branches. We have even gone beyond our target. We had wanted to have 3 000 delegates but our branches have gone beyond that. We are almost going to have not less than 3200 or so. All of the delegates who are going to be at our conference will be gender-balanced and will be from all parts of South Africa.”
The clock is ticking for the six-year-old party to elect its new leadership. It’s now up to EFF delegates that will gather at Nasrec to decide on the future of the party and who they want to take the party to new heights.
Watch the video below for more on the story:
