A buoyant Malema who has been re-elected unopposed to lead the party for a 3rd five year term said his party had demonstrated its capabilities in many ways including through work in coalition governments it was involved in and the very event that renewed his mandate, the 3rd National People’s Assembly, which was a spectacle.
“You proved them wrong with this NPA. You organised a flawless event. Everything went smoothly, no delays, no disruption, no chaos. We are the most organised organisation. We are a well oiled machine and that is why they are targeting us. Go out and win your wards, go and be councillors, go and be mayors in your municipalities, go and takeover government, amandla,” said Malema.
While the EFF said it has effectively launched its campaign for the 2026 local government elections during which it hopes to recover lost ground and possibly win a municipality outright, it was also keenly following developments in the ANC and the GNU in anticipation of an opportunity to go into a coalition with the liberation movement.
Malema said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s removal from office by a faction within the Government of National Unity, or when a new anti-GNU ANC President takes in 2027 are some of the opportunities.
“We still want to get into that thing of government so don’t be surprised when you see us being ministers. The GNU won’t last.Ramaphosa, if he doesn’t sign the Bela act those people of the ANC may remove him. You saw one of them was already singing ‘asifuni GNU’ the deputy president. Even if they don’t remove him now he is leaving anyway in 2027 and a new ANC leader elected on an anti-GNU ticket will takeover and collapse the GNU, we are waiting, we are ready,” he said referring to ANC internal tensions.
The ANC has, in the few months of the GNU, clashed with its main ally the Democratic Alliance over transformation laws passed by parliament in the sixth administration.
There’s currently a stand-off between the two parties with the DA threatening to quit the coalition if Ramaphosa signs into law outstanding parts of the Bela Act, legislation meant to end the discrimination of millions of non Afrikaans speaking children who are currently excluded from schools in their areas on the basis of language.
Malema said he’s watching the fallout closely to grab the opportunity should the DA dump the ANC.
“They are fighting with Helen Zille now and we are watching and when she leaves we get in, yes we are going in. She walks we go in. Our people gave black progressive parties but the ANC chose to go with right wingers, racists, oppressors. It will come to its senses and when it comes to its senses we will be ready. We are not going into government to save the ANC. We are going in to show South Africans what an EFF government looks like the way we are doing in Nelson Mandela Bay, EThekwini, Johannesburg and other municipalities, we are ready, we are going in,” he said to loud applause from the more than 2000 delegates who just re-elected him for third consecutive 5 year term as party leader.
Malema said his party had no intention of including MKP in its plan to join government stating it was up to the ANC to decide on that.
“We are not going to say we want to be in government but you must include MK, no that is not a condition, we are not interested in MK, if the ANC wants to work with them it’s up to them they can have that friendship anyway they were friends together, criminals, we are going in to do our own thing. No white person can ever disrespect a department that is under the EFF, never,” he said.