EFF’s national shutdown a farce, party just wants to be seen as busy

To think that I once admired Julius Malema – I feel ashamed. Maybe I was blinded by his pretentious love for South Africa.

Now, under the leadership of Malema, the country has been summoned to a national shutdown on Monday that envisions a total disengagement of citizens from all economic activities.

In this poorly performing and ailing economy, it must be acknowledged that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is using cheap tactics to destabilise the economy of this country beyond repair.

This total national shutdown is a farce and will not better the lives of South Africans.

ALSO READ: Gov fights back: No national shutdown, Monday will be a ‘normal day’

Instead, it will throw them in the deep end of financial ruin than they are currently in.

Just imagine the billions of rands that will be lost from just this act and the devastating effect it will have on small business owners and the poor.

So much for the so-called leftwing political party that claims to be championing the interests of the working class.

As much as load shedding is a worthy cause to fight against, the way in which the EFF is fighting it is not progressive.

The party has the right, like everyone else, to protest but to shut down everything and expect everyone to take part is just out of order and totally irresponsible on the side of EFF leaders, who may not feel the daily pressures of a tight economy.

What they want to do is not a solution but an addition to the problems we have in this country.

What if the shutdown turns violent and destroys the already dilapidated infrastructure of the country? Will the EFF be proud of that?

Let’s face it, load shedding won’t end because of a shutdown.

RELATED: National shutdown: Malema confronts ‘self-appointed white overseers of black skin’

Therefore, this route becomes a fruitless exercise that will drain the energy of our people.

What is needed is not economic disruption that gambles with the livelihoods of people, but a strategic input to advising how the government can end the energy crisis.

But since the EFF is interested in political power, that would be too much of an expectation from them.

For they are only interested in playing politics and being populist with the crisis while they offer zero solutions.

They don’t care and this just smells of an electioneering strategy in preparation for next year’s general election.

And as for demanding the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa through the shutdown, that is just cheap politicking.

A shutdown won’t affect the president’s life at all, but could drastically affect those who are barely able to make ends meet.

With the Phala Phala burglary scandal failing to make Ramaphosa resign, there is no way he will roll over for the EFF at this point.

The party has chosen the aggressive way to address its grievances and the sad thing is that this way will have devastating consequences for the country.

And they themselves know that this shutdown will not yield the results they are demanding.

READ MORE: National shutdown: Malema ‘assures’ Santaco taxis won’t be affected

They also know that it is not worth it to embark on a shutdown. It is really antirevolutionary and reeks of opportunism.

They, too, don’t believe that Ramaphosa will vacate the office after the shutdown.

The EFF just wants to be seen as a busy party and, as a country, we should not allow this type of anarchy.

So, a march that will not hinder anybody’s capability to bring food to the table is fine, but a shutdown that is taking food out of people’s mouths is unacceptable.

We are, indeed, living in a democratic state and the EFF has a right to protest.

We are not saying they should not protest, but we are saying their protest should not bring a standstill to the lives of others.

We have an unemployment rate that is high and we cannot afford to add more people on the train of unemployment.