Heads to roll in KZN after EFF leaders fail to meet Malema’s expectations

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leaders in KwaZulu-Natal are likely to be held to account after their efforts to fill Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban for the party’s manifesto launch at the weekend did not meet the standards of party leader Julius Malema.

This is according to sources in the EFF central command team, the party’s highest decision-making body, and the provincial command team who, told the Mail & Guardian on condition of anonymity that despite the provincial leadership achieving what some describe as a “miracle” in an ANC stronghold, Malema expressed “disappointment” with the organisation of the event and the turnout.

Malema’s decision to launch the EFF manifesto in KwaZulu-Natal was aimed at demonstrating to the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party, which are also launching manifestos in the same venue, that the EFF has a significant presence in the province.

One leader said Malema’s frustration with the organising team was that the EFF failed to draw more people than it did the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg for the party’s 10th birthday,because FNB Stadium is bigger than Moses Mabhida.

“We all knew that living up to the FNB Stadium crowds would be difficult to achieve because Gauteng had help from all provinces, but despite fighting to get the numbers we received, it’s clear that many of us in the province would not be coming back into the provincial command team,” the source said.

Political analyst Ongama Mtimka said the EFF has created pressure over “nothing”, because the crowd it gathered proved that they have support in KwaZulu-Natal.

“The crowd that was there was a significant crowd and the number of people that showed up in the stadium are way less than the number of people that voted for the party in KZN in 2019,” he said.

During a media briefing on Thursday, Malema said that the party had made “history” when it launched its manifesto.  

“Our rallies in KwaZulu-Natal were successful and the numbers were satisfying, we filled up that stadium and we are happy with it and we filled up that stadium with young people,” he said. 

Another provincial command team member said although Malema could not risk firing members now, the fate of the party’s provincial chairperson, Mongezi Twala, was tied to his ability to deliver one million voters in KwaZulu-Natal.

 “If the [provincial] election results are anything like the turnout during the manifesto launch, then the chair is in big trouble because the ambitious one million vote target is a way to get him out.”

Twala previously told the Mail & Guardian that the province is expected to mobilise one million votes for elections, adding that anything lower than that would not be accepted.

During his welcoming speech at the manifesto launch on Saturday, Twala said the turnout was the “end product of nearly six months of consultation with communities across provinces”. 

Malema described KwaZulu-Natal as a key “battleground” for the general elections. 

“We are in the 2024 elections for nothing else but to win. So, Mongezi Twala, you have no [option] but to win KwaZulu-Natal province. It is on your shoulders,” he said.

Despite Malema publicly expressing confidence in Twala and the provincial election task force led by deputy president Floyd Shivambu, leaders said Twala had been pushed to the sidelines.

“The manifesto launch was meant to be organised by the secretary general [Marshall Dlamini] and deputy president [Shivambu], the flop was done by them but the chair will take the hit because of his seniority,” the central command team member said.

On Saturday, Malema assured supporters that under the EFF’s leadership, the province would be governed by “the sons and daughters of KwaZulu-Natal” rather than individuals from other provinces.

The leaders confirmed that Malema was referring to a new entrant, former ANC Youth League national leader Magasela Mzobe, who had been earmarked for the top position.

The source added that they were aware of the party’s plan to reshuffle the national and provincial list to “weed out” members who had lost favour with Malema.

Another leader in the central command team said it had become difficult to mobilise support because the EFF’s foot soldiers in KwaZulu-Natal had become demoralised by the party’s decision to expel councillors before the manifesto launch.

Last year, the party moved to expel more than 60 of its leaders for failing to secure buses for their constituents to attend the 10th-anniversary celebrations at FNB Stadium.  

Among that 60 was former KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Vusi Khoza, who was instrumental in building the EFF support base in that province.

At the time, Malema vowed that the leaders would face consequences for their apparent lack of commitment to the party, particularly in organising its birthday celebration in Johannesburg.

Party chairperson Veronica Mente said the leaders who failed to produce buses showed that they were not capable of taking care of the constituencies they led and, therefore, could not stay in their position.

A provincial command team leader said the actions by the EFF leadership to “chuck members” before elections had cost them the KwaZulu-Natal elective strategy to gain members who were displeased with the ANC and that these members have now dumped both the ANC and the EFF for the uMkhonto weSizwe party spearheaded by former ANC president Jacob Zuma.

“The emergence of the MK will destabilise all the parties in the province. This is a fact all political parties know, and an own goal to us because the people are not interested in anything that is not MK. The Zuma wave will draw members towards the MK and by the time the party reveals what it stands for, they will be in parliament,” the provincial command team leader said.

Malema previously said he would have preferred Zuma to join the EFF to strengthen his party. “If Zuma comes and joins the EFF, he will be more than welcomed,” he said early last year.
Mente said this week that although the EFF did not know what the MK stands for, it would consider a coalition government.