Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Deputy President Floyd Shivambu says Russia’s Vladimir Putin is fighting back against sanctions imposed on his country.
Shivambu was delivering a memorial lecture in honour of the founder of the Russian Communist Party, Vladimir Lenin. Lenin led the Bolshevik’s revolution and was the architect of the Soviet state.
The memorial lecture, which was attended by hundreds of EFF members, was held at the Giyani community hall in Limpopo.
He says the party believes that what is happening in Ukraine is about Russia fighting against domination by NATO.
Shivambu says the EFF is an anti-imperialist party inspired by Lenin’s ideology.
On the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Shivambu says they support the move by Russia.
He also talked about the situation in neighbouring Eswatini, and said the EFF wants King Mswati to relinquish his hold on the government and pave the way for democracy.
Shivambu says, “There’s nothing wrong with Vladimir Putin fighting back against NATO and sanction to eastern Europe. We as the anti-imperialist movement, the EFF, we can’t even ask ourselves which side do we support. We are saying we are anti-imperialist anti-capitalist movement, Mswati must democratize, must leave office and then there must be democracy in Swaziland.”
Contesting political power
Shivambu says the EFF is contesting political power to ensure that all people benefit from state resources, just like Lenin advocated in his political philosophy.
He says, “We want to contest political power so that we can capture the state for the benefit of the people. The reason why we are not building those roads is because they have not yet got the tender to get one person to benefit. There’s capacity in South Africa to benefit all the people with the resources that we have but the capital system it is making sure that is only few individuals that benefit, that is what we learn from Lenin.”
Shivambu also told party members that the EFF will deal with councillors who want to enrich themselves instead of representing people in the municipal councils.
He says, “We are beginning to have elements among our public representatives as the EFF who are beginning to develop capitalist, when they get into municipality their friends with supply chain management, friends are municipal managers.”
VIDEO: In March, EFF’s Floyd Shivambu said South Africa should continue strengthening diplomatic ties with Russia:
