Thank EFF
Written by: Ndibulele Sotondoshe
"The media was used against us, all sorts of shenanigans were used - we were denied stadia, our adverts were banned, our posters were removed... so it was clear," says Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) Gauteng Premier Candidate Dali Mpofu, adding that his party is the fastest-growing political party in South Africa. After his expulsion from the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), Julius Malema didn't roll over and accept defeat but went on to form a new party.
Bigger opposition parties have ridiculed the EFF, claiming that the party was formed out of anger. People raised their eye-brows when the EFF was registered with 1000 members, double the number that is required by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). However, the ruling party didn’t underestimate the EFF, says Mpofu:
"They know we know the game. We know how to go to the ground and how to work the ground. The ANC knows that. We are going to show that going forward."
Speaking of ‘work’ and ‘grounds’, Mpofu represents the miners at the Farlam Commission and was an ANC member for more than 30 years. The commission is investigating the death of 36 miners who were gunned down by police in August 2012 at Marikana while protesting and demanding a wage increase. Malema condemned the incident and called Zuma a ‘killer’. For the traumatised miners, Malema has been a shoulder to cry on. The EFF donated R50 000 to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union's (AMCU) strike fund, who have again downed tools since January 2014. Since then, Lonmin has lost R14.4 billion in revenue and miners, R6.4 billion in earnings.
A survey carried out by the Social Change Unit of the University of Johannesburg shows that the EFF obtained most of its votes from employed males who participate in strikes and have kept many miners and unemployed people under their wing.
‘Juju’ and his troops ranked third in the 2014 general elections, securing 6.53% of the vote (1 169 259), despite being in existence for a mere nine months.
Professor of Political Science at the Witwatersrand University, Adam Habib, claims the EFF was born at the right time as ANC voters were disgruntled with their party, stating that the so-called ‘Nkandla Saga’ and Marikana massacre have put the EFF in a good position: "I think Nkandla hurt the ruling party. It seems to me that the ANC paid the cost of it. If I was the ruling party, I'd be very, very worried. If you lose these big cities, if you lose the middle class, you cannot claim to be a party of modernity, you cannot claim to be a cosmopolitan party of the 21st century."
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that President Jacob Zuma and his family unduly benefited from the R246m security upgrade to his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, which included a swimming pool, a cattle kraal and an amphitheatre.
The ruling party has lost 15 seats on the national assembly while the EFF secured 26 seats. In the 2009 elections, Cope was the ‘new kid’ and came third with 30 seats… but attained a mere three seats in the recent elections. Other members crossed the road back to the ANC after public conflict between party’s President Mosiuoa Lekota and Mbazima Shilowa. Cope was also formed by former ANC members who were not fond of Zuma, but Mpofu says his party cannot be compared to Cope: "We started off eight months ago. We didn't have any money. The ANC and the media blemished our leader, not like Cope."
The ‘new-kid’ arrived in an era where the youth constitutes much of the population and many must hope the EFF will represent them and resolve their challenges.
The EFF says it is willing to work with other political parties to move the country forward but will only work with parties that share its policies, such as land expropriation without compensation. They are ‘not compromising on their policies because of a possible coalition’.
The EFF sure has an effective manifesto that seeks to improve the lives of the underprivileged citizens (or so it says) and they say they are the only party that associates itself with the poor. There is nothing new about suggestions around nationalisation of mines and land expropriation as both measures have been advocated before by the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO). But the EFF has taken a different approach.
They aim to use Venezuela’s plan to nationalise mineral wealth ‘for the benefit of the people’. In Venezuela, the Huge Chavez’ government used nationalisation of mineral resources to pay for free healthcare and education. The EFF has also made friends with parties that share their sentiments, like September National Imbizo (SNI), one of whose member explain: “SNI is a black radical social movement. It is aiming at achieving black liberation and economic freedom in our lifetime. We are also for land restitution without compensation.”
The ANC’s Freedom Charter states: “The people shall share in the country’s wealth, thus the mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole.” However, the chief surveyor-general Mmuso Riba found that private individuals and foreigners own close to 80% (96 million hectares) of South African land. By comparison, the State owns a mere 14% (17 million hectares). Whether the EFF’s nationalisation is an effective way to curb poverty and inequality is another debate.
Contrary to popular belief, the EFF consists of a mixture of veterans and new blood. Their parliamentarians include Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association, Mpho Ramakatsa (45), who served in the ANC for several years but 'left' after successfully taking the ANC to the Constitutional Court. He wanted to have the party’s provincial executive committee closed down. According to ANC policy, ANC members cannot file a lawsuit against the organisation. Godrich Gardee (48) was in ANC exile in 1988 and served in at ANCYL but left because he thought the ‘ANC would cleanse itself but drew more dirt to itself instead’.
The Economic Freedom Fighters’ Premier candidate for KwaZulu-Natal Vusi Khoza was an ANC councillor in 2009 but resigned due to his conviction in 2012. He was involved in a xenophobic attack that left two nationals dead but vehemently denies any involvement.
According to the Constitution, people who are convicted and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment, without the option of a fine, cannot become a member of the provincial legislature or the national assembly. This expires five years after the sentence has been completed.
Malema might also get the axe as he also faces charges of racketeering and 52 other counts, including fraud, according to National Prosecution Authority (NPA). The NPA did not specify what the counts are.
On 21 May 2014, EFF members rocked up in red overalls to Parliament, where they were duly sworn in. Male Members of Parliament were dressed in overalls while their female counterparts dressed as cleaners.
If the counts against him are anything to go by, Malema could soon be wearing the orange overalls in prison – as an inmate.