Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and Julius Malema at the Alexandra Freedom Day Rally on April 27, 2024. (Photo by Luba Lesolle/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
The factions within the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) dubbed the “socialites” and “ground forces” will not matter when the party gathers for its third elective conference next month, as leader Julius Malema’s slate is expected to be delivered unopposed.
This is according to senior party officials who say calls for Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and Veronica Mente to be part of this year’s election are futile because of their perceived proximity to former deputy president Floyd Shivambu, who left the EFF for the uMkhonto weSizwe party in August.
The EFF has been grappling with the repercussions of the defection of Shivambu and other senior leaders, including Dali Mpofu and Busisiwe Mkhwebane, to Jacob Zuma’s party.
The Red Berets expect to see many more members jump ship before they elect Malema’s chosen lieutenants to head the party next month.
“We are hoping these members are not waiting for us to have our conference first before leaving, because this will cause a serious rift in the party during a time when we need to focus on local government elections.
“We really cannot wait for those who are in between to choose a side, so we can rebuild with real members,” said a senior leader who declined to be named.
The EFF will meet from 12 to 15 December in Johannesburg for its national assembly at which it is expected to elect Malema as president and former secretary general Godrich Gardee as deputy president to replace Shivambu.
Secretary general Marshall Dlamini is expected to retain his position while Western Cape MP Nontando Nolutshungu will probably replace Mente as chairperson.
Nolutshungu, who joined the EFF in 2013, has reportedly been assigned leadership roles in her province to help her connect with the party’s constituency.
This move is aimed at preventing a backlash from members over her lack of visibility, a concern that arose in 2019 when Omphile Maotwe was elected treasurer and faced criticism for being relatively unknown among party members.
Maotwe — who is said to be behind a campaign that will see Mente and deputy secretary general Poppy Mailola removed from their positions — will retain her role as treasurer. Party spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys is expected to make a comeback as the deputy secretary general.
Malema’s slate, which has been endorsed by provincial leaders, will supersede the wishes of the branches who have “democratically” chosen Ndlozi as the only suitable candidate to fill Shivambu’s shoes as the “brain of the party”.
The branches also want Mente to continue in her role, due in part to the important role she has played in parliament.
Provincial leaders confirmed to the Mail & Guardian that while Gardee would take the position of deputy, Malema would strip him of deployment powers — a factor that has reportedly strained relationships between the commander-in-chief and party members who were initially deployed by Shivambu, including Ndlozi and Mente.
As a result, Ndlozi has allegedly rejected the call to stand for any position within the top six, due to what his supporters call “harassment” by Malema’s followers on social media.
Ndlozi’s supporters argued that his position had been undermined by Shivambu’s continued endorsement and publicly referring to him as a “brother”.
“We’ve tried and failed to persuade him to challenge Gardee for the position. He’s simply lost interest in the race. It’s unfortunate because, with the numbers he has, he could even take on the CIC [commander-in-chief] and win,” said a Gauteng branch leader
The sources alleged Shivambu intended to erode EFF members’ trust in Ndlozi and cause a rift between Ndlozi and Malema.
“Shivambu wants to drive a wedge between Malema and Ndlozi, which could benefit factions both within and outside the EFF,” according to another leader.
Insiders suggest that while Ndlozi’s loyalty to the EFF remains strong, his connection to Shivambu has left him vulnerable to criticism from various factions within the party.
“Malema and his core have been threatening him, so to show his loyalty to EFF, he had to decline nomination. This also means that he is not a traitor or an infiltrator,” they said.
Mente’s supporters have also expressed disappointment as she was seen as a good candidate to lead the women’s wing.
Mente did not respond to questions from the M&G and Shivambu had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.