By Johnathan Paoli
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has claimed that the party has been infiltrated by double agents, with former founding members being turned and captured ahead of the national elective conference in December.
“The EFF was not only confronted by infiltration for the purposes of sabotage in elections, or for the purposes of destroying the organisation as we know it. We were also confronted by ideological infiltration and political degeneration,” he said.
Malema was addressing the EEF’s Gauteng Provincial General Assembly in Benoni. He spoke candidly about the challenges facing the party, and reiterated its mission to fight corruption and unify South Africa’s black population.
Malema positioned the EFF as the only political entity capable of uniting black South Africans, dismissing other political structures and figures, chief among them the former president Jacob Zuma’s Umkhonto weSize Party.
“There is no old person who is going to unite black people in South Africa. Only the EFF can unite black people,” he said.
Despite acknowledging the departure of some former members, Malema expressed gratitude that they chose to leave rather than damage the party from within, framing their exit as an “assassination” attempt on the EFF.
A recurring theme in Malema’s speech was infiltration, which he described as both ideological and operational.
He claimed that that these individuals had pressured the party to collaborate with the African National Congress in the Government of National Unity, labelling it a self-serving move for political positions.
“Infiltration manifests itself when ideas and principles are sacrificed at the altar of self-interest,” he said.
While Malema acknowledged the challenges of betrayal and infiltration, he commended party delegates for their loyalty and discipline, emphasising the importance of ideological commitment and revolutionary discipline to preserve the party’s integrity.
“The ideological infiltration of the EFF began when we allowed our struggle for liberation to be individualised,” he said.
Malema also addressed the alleged sabotage in KwaZulu-Natal during the elections, hinting that certain members deliberately undermined the party’s efforts in the province.
The party leader doubled down on his long-standing commitment to fight corruption, specifically targeting Zuma.
“We are not going to sell the future generation for the dreams of an 82-year-old man who is corrupt to the core,” he declared.
Malema called for unity and resilience in the face of its current challenges, and said the EFF would endure and its mandate would not be compromised.
INSIDE POLITICS
