Riyaz Patel
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) second elective conference, the National People’s Assembly, is taking place at Nasrec, Johannesburg, from Friday 13 December to Monday 16 December 2019.
More than 4 000 delegates are expected to discuss policy issues and most importantly, elect the party’s new leadership.
The EFF was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema in 2013, and is currently the third-largest party in both houses of the South African Parliament.
At a press briefing in Soweto on 26 July 2013, Malema announced the new party had more than 1000 members, double the 500 required for registration with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
The posts of leader, deputy president, and secretary-general of the EFF are expected to be the most-anticipated and contested positions at the conference.
Political analyst Sanusha Naidu, from the Institute for Global Dialogue, told 702 there will be slates within the party.
“You have one slate led by Dali Mpofu and then you have the Julius Malema slate, where deputy president Floyd Shivambu seems to be confident to retain that position.”
Naidu further believes that there are other issues that underpin this conference, such as the student command center.
There are whispers that Marshall Dlamini could replace Godrich Gardee as the EFF’s secretary-general and Dali Mpofu could contend for the EFF presidency.
The Red Berets’ Commander-in-Chief said that he has never lost a conference.
“Just go and check my track record, I’ve never lost a conference. You should know that. Not only in the youth or EFF, even in the ANC when I said this is what’s going to happen, it happened exactly how I said it’s going to happen,” said Malema.
Malema is gunning for the top position in the party once again, saying he is prepared to work with whoever the EFF delegation elects.
“I am prepared to work with anyone the conference elects … I will subject myself to the leadership which is elected.”
“The EFF is the third-largest political party in South Africa – the only party that has grown its electoral support significantly; the only party that has put firmly on the agenda, the issue of the land, the issue of the economy, the issue of empowerment of disadvantaged African people in South Africa,” Malema said in a recent interview.
In a press statement, the EFF said that out of 625 RSVPs by media to attend the elective conference, only 150 media personnel would be allowed to attend.
Below, the timetable for conferences to be held at the second elective conference:
