Red sea: The EFF has struggled to get the positive sentiment it gets at events, rallies and on social media to translate into actual voters at the polls. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
All leadership positions up for grabs at the Economic Freedom Fighters’ second elective conference were uncontested, meaning Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu will retain their positions as president and deputy president respectively.
On the second day of the EFF’s National People’s Assembly on Saturday, the so-called Amatorokisi faction emerged victorious, with its touted slate securing all top six positions.
Malema’s nomination to continue leading the EFF was supported by the large majority of the 4 000 delegates attending the second-day of the party’s second policy and elective conference in Johannesburg on Saturday.
No other nominations for EFF president were made.
Shivambu, however, faced small pockets of dissent, who nominated the party’s current national chairperson, Dali Mpofu, to contest the position of deputy president.
Mpofu accepted the nomination, but not enough delegates put up their hands to show their support. According to the EFF’s constitution, a nominee can only cross the threshold once they have received support from 30% of the delegates.
Shivambu’s uncontested nomination put to rest any hopes of a face-off between him and another burgeoning faction within the party.
In the run-up to the elective conference, two factions were said to be going head-to-head.
The Amatorokisi faction was reportedly backing a slate including Malema as president and Shivambu as his deputy. The proposed slate put up EFF MPs Marshall Dlamini and Veronica Mente as secretary general and national chairperson respectively.
It also put forward senior party members Poppy Mailola as deputy secretary general and Omphile Maotwe as treasurer general.
All those said to be part of the Amatorokisi slate were nominated uncontested, despite nominations emanating from a competing slate.
The rival faction nominated Mandisa Mashego to go up against Dlamini. It also nominated Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi to retain her position as deputy secretary general.
Mkhaliphi declined her nomination, while Mashego failed to garner enough support from the delegates.
With all nominations uncontested, no voting was necessary on Saturday night.