Riyaz Patel
Julius Malema has retained his position as commander-in-chief of the Economic Freedom Fighters and will lead the party for the next five years, at least.
Malema, who founded the party in 2013 after his expulsion from the ANC, was elected unopposed to the position late Saturday night.
His deputy, Floyd Shivambu, was also re-elected into the post.
Attempts by former national chairperson Dali Mpofu to contest for deputy president failed to meet the threshold after being nominated.
He further rejected a second nomination for the position of national chair, which is now occupied by EFF MP Veronica Mente.
EFF Gauteng chairperson Mandisa Mashego also failed in her bid for the secretary general position.
Marshall Dlamini was elected EFF Secretary General – replacing Godrich Gardee. Dlamini’s deputy will be Poppy Mailola.
Former Gauteng treasurer Omphile Maotwe was nominated unopposed for the position of national treasurer.
Malema presented his CIC report to delegates at the EFF’s National People’s Assembly (NPA) Saturday.
Malema warned that the party should have people who were capable to succeed him or risk the organisation dying in a similar manner to how the Pan Africanist Congress died after its leader, Robert Sobukwe, was arrested by the apartheid regime.
“When the apartheid regime isolated and banished Robert Sobukwe, they knew that those who remained in the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) had no capacity to lead a militant mass organisation that was founded by Robert Sobukwe, irrespective of the progressive ideas of the PAC. As a result, the PAC has struggled to exist beyond Robert Sobukwe,” said Malema.
Malema also reflected of the past five years in the EFF since its founding conference in 2014, outlining the party’s ‘successes’ in this period, including the campaign for the nationalisation of land and the South African Reserve Bank.
He warned however, that the EFF’s policy perspectives and goals would be meaningless if the party is not rooted in discipline.
“It is discipline that will allow us to build a socialist vanguard.”
“It is discipline that will make the EFF a viable alternative for the hopeless masses of our people. An alternative that will maintain its protest character while fighting battles within the walls of Parliament.”
On leadership, Malema said: “You can develop the best policies and adopt the most progressive of resolutions, but if you compromise yourself in choosing lazy leaders who think leadership positions are a status, all those policies and resolutions will amount to nothing.”
Malema also branded those who label the EFF as a fascist organisation as being “intellectually lazy.”
“A fascist organisation will not conduct a democratic elective and policy conference within its own ranks where members decide on party policy and elect their preferred leaders.”
