‘Brutal leader’: Malema ruling with ruthlessness in the EFF

Political analysts believe Julius Malema can be as ruthless and brutal against his “opponents” in the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) as he claims and that anyone who challenges him risks being kicked out of the party.

They say without Malema, the EFF will suffer and even disintegrate because it is synonymous with him. But he has unchecked powers which he uses to deal with opponents in his party and many members have fallen victim to his autocratic leadership style.

Political analyst Prof Dirk Kotzé of the University of South Africa said: “A leader should not entrench himself too long in a party. One anticipates there will be more challenges against Malema’s leadership in future. There will be a potential contender. What we see on the surface about [Floyd] Shivambu… there could be more brewing inside the party.”

Last week, Malema warned his deputy, Shivambu, against challenging his leadership, indicating he could be “ruthless” against those who conspire against him.

Addressing an EFF 10th-anniversary dinner in Ekurhuleni, he accused Shivambu of conspiring against him. “Floyd and I complement each other very well. I have made it clear to Floyd that the day you get tired of me, don’t organise against me. Just tell me, ‘I think you have served your time’,” he said.

He implied his ally had gone behind his back and organised against him. “I hear it in the corners; I am very ruthless with people who do that, and Floyd knows that,” Malema said.

Kotzé said Malema was “in a very strong position” in the EFF and anyone who challenged him would be taking a risk.

The fact that Shivambu was the EFF deputy did not mean he was Malema’s successor and it was possible he could be removed or marginalised if he challenged his power. He said unlike the ANC, the EFF did not have clear factions and that the party revolved around Malema. “

A leader can become dominant, autocratic and appear to be strong when he is actually weak, but Malema is the most dominant in the EFF.

However, his dominance has become counter-productive because there are now people who have become dissatisfied with his leadership,” he said.

He added that the EFF had the highest turnover of MPs in parliament, indicating significant internal dissatisfaction”.

But political analyst Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast expressed doubts about the appropriateness of the language used by Malema to describe how he dealt with his party enemies.

“There seems to be a problem of organisational culture because some decisions seem not to be made in consultation with the rank and file, but are brought from top down to the bottom.”

He said the discontent among EFF members became clear after the 2021 local government election regarding its position on foreign nationals, where some opposed the party’s stance that foreigners were free to come into the country because South Africa was also their home.

Another issue is the EFF’s contradictory stance on gender and sex issues.

It recently invited Kenyan academic Patrick Lumumba, a supporter of Uganda’s anti-gay laws, to give a public lecture to mark the EFF’s 10th anniversary while protesting the prohibition of gay marriages in Uganda.

Breakfast said there wasn’t a leader in the EFF who could match Malema: “If he walks away from the EFF, the party will be dealt a blow.”