By Simon Nare
EFF leader Julius Malema has cautioned his party against factionalism and internal divisions, warning that these issues must be resolved to prevent a decline similar to that of the ANC’s loss of power.
Addressing the party’s national assembly at Nasrec, where he was re-elected as president, Malema urged members to return to their structures and focus on rebuilding the organization as resolved at the conference.
“We cannot allow our organization to be divided. Some comrades are working day and night to create divisions within the EFF. Let’s go and show them that the EFF will not decline. The EFF will rise higher and higher. The EFF is unstoppable because victory is certain,” he said.
Malema said that those attempting to divide the party were not driven by hatred but were individuals who relied on factionalism to thrive.
“Where there is no fight, they create one. They both claim to support Julius Malema, yet they have two separate WhatsApp groups — one for each side. But both groups support Julius Malema. So, what exactly are you disagreeing about?”
“Our leaders need to mature quickly because factionalism destroyed the ANC, and it will destroy the EFF if we allow it. Leaders must learn to consult each other—no single leader has all the wisdom. I hope we can take this lesson, rebuild the organization, and avoid falling into the trap of factionalism,” said Malema.
Malema outlined key resolutions from the national assembly, emphasising structural changes and leadership guidance.
He said that while regions would eventually be dissolved and replaced by sub-regions, this transition would not happen immediately.
Regional leaders are to continue their duties until new guidelines are provided by the leadership.
He encouraged regional leaders to begin building their presence at the sub-regional level.
Additionally, the conference resolved to convert all student command structures into youth command structures, retaining the current leadership and branch organization.
This move, Malema explained, aims to streamline structures and avoid management challenges arising from excessive complexity.
Malema praised conference delegates for resisting divisive efforts, particularly from sections of the media, which he accused of attempting to disrupt the EFF’s unity.
“There were numerous attempts to distract us—countless attempts to inspire division, factionalism, and disunity ahead of this NPA. As delegates of the EFF branches, you resisted these agents of disruption and delivered a successful conference. For this, I thank you,” he said.
He added that these attempts included questioning the credibility of the conference and portraying the EFF as disorganized. Malema accused the media of ignoring his political report at the conference’s opening, instead choosing to spread rumors and sow division.
Malema also focused attention on the election of many first-time members to the party’s Central Command Team (CCT), urging them to adopt a “national conscience.”
He explained that leading at the national level requires a deep, organic understanding of the country’s political and social dynamics.
“A national conscience doesn’t mean you must have traveled the entire country before being elected to the CCT. It means having a sophisticated understanding of the political and social conditions in South Africa at all levels,” he said.
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