The Economic Freedom Fighters finds itself between a rock and a hard place as the party moves to push back against infiltration by the Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto Wesizwe.
On Monday, the red berets summoned its Gauteng structures to a mass meeting in Orlando, Soweto where Commander In Chief Julius Malema was to take them into confidence on the fallout with his forer deputy Floyd Shivambu who left the party for MK last week.
While Malema purports to accept Shivambu’s decision he announced that the EFF will rid itself of any footprints of his long time ally with whom he enjoyed ‘brotherly’ relations for many years he labelled his departure a “betrayal of the revolution” and an “attack on the EFF” and urged members to “isolate” those intent on leaving to join MK.
Equally Malema cautioned members against witch-hunting. ” Do not let this experience that I have had make you see a spy everywhere you go in the EFF. Let this not be paranoia. Do not lose faith in your fellow fighter, what they do is their business, you have to remain principled”, he said about how members should behave in the lead up to the party’s third elective conference that he said could be used to elect compromised leaders as part of an attempt to hijack the party.
In a rather contradicting statement, the EFF leader called for vigilance, warning against among others, opportunism and careerism.
“We must guard against opportunism, factionalism, and self-entitlement, greed, and all attempts to distract us from our generational mission. We must unite and close ranks against any and all elements that may seek to use our National People’s Assembly as an opportunity to infiltrate and destroy the EFF. Comrades, it is now time to build an iron wall in defence of our movement, as we confront not only our historical enemy, but those amongst us who wish to see the death of this revolutionary movement. Our task now comrades is to build this movement, and isolate those who think the EFF is a step-ladder to positions and personal gain,” said Malema insisting there were no political differences between him and Shivambu.
Malema shared his account of Shivambu’s move saying when he asked his then deputy what he ( Malema) had done for him to decide to leave he answered “nothing, it is a political decision” which he Malema said amounted to the sacrifice of the party for personal gain.
“Do not be persuaded by those who have fallen along the way, do not be discouraged by those who have lost hope, because they thought that the revolution is a bed of roses,” said Malema who despite purporting to accept Shivambu’s decision vowed to rid the EFF of his footprint.
“Everything else that looks like the former Deputy President shall be dismantled and gotten rid off with immediate effect,” he said also announcing the dissolution of a governance unit that was headed by Shivambu. Malema also had mixed feelings on MK which he said the EFF will continue to work with as part of the so-called ‘progressive caucus’ in parliament but will ” take head on” out there in the streets.
“You invite us into a fight we accept it,” he said before warning against an obsession with MKP.
“I must make it clear that we are not in an alliance with MKP and what they do is none of our business including those ones who just left us. We are going to talk about MK P however we want whenever we want but when we get to parliament we will debate on the same side with them because we are part of the progressive caucus. all progressive parties endorsed by voters must unite. they want to defocus us. we must stay focused comrades. the real enemy is the GNU of DA and Freedom Front Plus, we must attack and oppose this GNU. We must declare GNU to be the enemy of the EFF,” he said.
Malema announced that former spokesperson Sinawo Thambo who had been left out in the cold will replace Shivambu in parliament while the party’s Secretary General Marshall Dlamini who is already an MP will become the EFF’s new parliamentary Chief Whip.
Western Cape activist Nazier Paulsen is set to replace Mzwanele Manyi who also defected to MK.
