Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party leader, Julius Malema, has told the closing of the party’s Eastern Cape People’s Assembly that the party is looking for more than the 155 000 votes it received during the previous election when South Africans go to the polls again.
Malema has also singled out the new provincial secretary, Simthembile Madikizela, saying this position is the engine of the party in the province.
“Your judgment is on retaining this number, increasing it, or even doubling it and taking over the Eastern Cape. If we are not number one, we are number two and if are equal number two it means there is now a winner and all of them is under 50% they must come to EFF to beg to go with EFF in government.”
EFF’s 3rd Eastern Cape Provincial People’s Assembly:
Lack of women representation
Malema also criticised Eastern Cape party delegates for the lack of women representation amongst the newly elected office bearers.
The province elected Zilindile Vena as the provincial chairperson, he replaces Yazini Thetyana who occupied the position for the past five years. Mlamli Makhetha was elected as the deputy chairperson.
Malema pointed to the party’s provincial leadership which has eight men in its ranks.
He says women also deserve to be represented in leadership positions. Malema has further warned party members against factionalism.
Meanwhile, the deputy president of the EFF, Floyd Shivambu, believes the party has huge growth potential in the Eastern Cape. Shivambu has also been attending the party’s provincial people’s assembly in East London.
“We are currently covered in 90% of municipalities. It is only two municipalities where we don’t have representation, Inxuba Yethemba, and KouKamma. That tells a story that the EFF is received well in all the communities. But what we need to do is to intensify and ensure the organisation continues to grow.”
