EFF leader Julius Malema. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo)
The heads of many people who have lost favour with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema are expected to roll before its third national people’s assembly in December at which delegates will elect new leaders.
Sources in the central command team, its highest decision-making body, and the provincial command team, told the Mail & Guardian on condition of anonymity that, despite the decline in the EFF’s support in many provinces in the May general elections, only those close to Malema would be left in their positions.
Those still in his favour include leaders from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and Eastern Cape.
While the EFF was knocked from its position as the third-largest party to fourth by Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, it gained support in the Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Free State in the elections.
But its national support dipped from 10.8% in 2019 to 9.52% this year, with the number of its MPs falling from 44 to 39.
Last week, at the party’s 11th anniversary celebrations in Kimberley in Northern Cape, Malema said EFF structures in North West would have to account for their dismal performance at the elections.
“How do we lose 25 000 votes in Bojanala in the North West and there is no explanation? Some heads will roll,” Malema warned.
“The heads have rolled in Limpopo. That is why there is new leadership. We are not going to sit back and reward laziness. We must punish laziness; we must punish factionalism and people must earn their seat at this dinner table.”
After the Red Berets’ support in Limpopo eased to 14.12% in May, compared with 14.43% in 2019, the party’s national command council team moved to dissolve provincial structures, replacing chairperson Tshilidzi Maraga with Lawrence Mapoulo, an ally of Malema.
Maraga fell out of favour with the party leader because of her provincial committee’s proximity to former Gauteng leader Mandisa Mashego and former Limpopo chair Jossey Buthane, who defected to the ANC.
In North West, traditionally a strong EFF base, support declined to 17.37% in the May elections from 18.64% in 2019.
One source said Malema’s frustration with the provincial leadership, headed by Shakes Botswe, was due to the growing factionalism in the party over secretary general Marshall Dlamini ahead of the conference.
“The commander-in-chief [CIC] has ears on the ground and that is why he is aware of what is happening. Commissar Botswe knows very well he will not be nominated for a third term, so he did not push hard enough for the elections, despite the threats by the CIC that they would be disbanded,” the source said.
“This sent negative messages that Botswe had changed sides and was part of factions against him.”
Another leader in the North West provincial structures said members were facing the chop because they had spoken out against Malema’s tough leadership stance, which was seen as dividing the party’s provincial command team.
“There have been rising factions in the province following the election results. Everyone is talking about it.
“The CIC failed to deliver the results needed for him to show confidence during the conference.
“Now we are all aware these disbandments are meant to ensure blind delegates are selected to secure his place in the conference,” they said.
“You must remember that North West and Limpopo hold the largest delegates during the conference because they have the highest electorate. So, this is all part of the plan, but we are not shaken.”
Malema has issued a stern warning to conference delegates, urging them to avoid factional battles.
But leaders close to the recently ousted Limpopo and North West leadership accused him of threatening provincial leaders in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the newly appointed Limpopo leadership to “secure his re-election as the party’s leader unopposed”.
Despite the EFF’s support in KwaZulu-Natal falling to 2.38% this year from 7.84% in 2019, Malema said he would not punish the provincial leadership.
“The comrades of KwaZulu-Natal fought. They did not see that animal called MK party coming,” he said. “It was not an easy fight, with limited resources and the vastness of the province. Nothing will happen to them. They remain the leaders.”
EFF Gauteng leader Nkululeko Dunga and KwaZulu-Natal leader Mongezi Twala denied the existence of any factions in the party, with the former adding that he was certain his position was not in danger.
Two senior leaders in the central command team expressed unhappiness with Malema’s decision to have the provincial leaderships disbanded, saying his “dictatorial and flip-flopping leadership” was confusing.
“We have argued against the disbandment of leadership because we need to increase morale but we have often been told of democratic centralism, which has been used to suppress us. We cannot debate and are threatened with removal if we speak about it,” one said.
“What we know is that the CIC has been shaken and that is why we see these actions. He is arming himself for the conference,” the other added.