EFF-DA divorce seems on the cards

The agreements between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) in the three metropolitan councils of Nelson Mandela, Johannesburg and Tshwane are hanging in the balance as EFF leader Julius Malema threatens to “cut the throat of the DA” for not supporting land expropriation without compensation.

But the DA has hit back, accusing Malema of being a populist with intentions to destroy the country. The party vowed to rather lose the Nelson Mandela Bay metro than ditch its liberal policies in favour of Malema’s populist policies.

Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni yesterday said this was the beginning of the end of the DA-EFF agreement, which was not founded on principle but on their common opposition against the ANC.

Fikeni said the clash between the DA and EFF was not surprising because their policies are far apart.

This marked the beginning of a new era of political realignment, with the black-led parties now on the same side. The analyst was alluding to the cooperation of the EFF and the ANC and other smaller parties to support Malema’s motion on land expropriation without compensation.

Those who opposed were the DA, Congress of the People, African Christian Democratic Party and Freedom Front Plus, while the rest of the parties supported change, which would see some white-owned land being given to black people to redress the issue of landlessness.

Addressing a crowd of EFF supporters during the launch of the party’s campaign for better public healthcare in Soweto yesterday, Malema said, “We will cut the DA’s throat”, to teach the party a lesson.

He said the EFF had no problems with DA mayors in Johannesburg and Tshwane and they had good working relationships.

“We are going to remove the mayor of Port Elizabeth – not because he stole money or anything [but] because we want to teach these white people that we mean business when we say expropriation of land without compensation,” said Malema.

Fikeni said if the EFF threat was successfully carried out in Port Elizabeth, it could easily spread to the other two metros and elsewhere where the EFF had lent its support to the DA.

“Their relationship is unravelling and the EFF-DA coalition is not in good standing in these areas,” Fikeni said.

Malema argued they had never entered into a coalition with the DA in any of the metros, but always merely voted with them to keep the ANC at bay.

But DA Eastern Cape provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga blasted Malema as a populist who was hellbent on destroying the country.

“We saved this city from the corrupt ANC and already we have made a positive impact by creating jobs at Nelson Mandela. Malema wants to reverse those gains.

“We will never agree with Malema’s policies, we are a liberal democratic party. As the DA leader in this province, I reject their view because they are not going to assist South Africa, but will run the country down. We can’t break South Africa like they did in Zimbabwe,” Bhanga said.

“We are where we are today because Malema imposed Jacob Zuma on us.”

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