Coalitions: EFF is cold-shouldered

A regime change will be guaranteed to happen if the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) can swallow their pride and team up to oust the ANC, but no-one is keen on working with the red berets, say experts.

They say parties across the spectrum would feel uncomfortable with Julius Malema’s group as part of a coalition government because of its radical policy posturing and rabble-rouser public displays.

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However, some experts are of the view that an EFF-DA cooperation could only happen if it became absolutely necessary and the DA had no choice but to work with them.

There is also the reality that the ANC believes it does not need anyone and will win a big enough majority to govern.

Hence, the DA has not made overtures to the EFF and, in some cases, its senior members have been critical of Malema.

While cooperation between the two ideological foes is the only thing that could help remove the ANC from power completely, or usher in an ANC-free government, the gulf between the EFF and DA is too wide. Political analyst Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast said the EFF was closer to the ANC ideologically than the DA.

A DA-EFF coalition would be short-lived because the parties have fundamental ideological differences.

But Breakfast had noticed a shift away from the centre-right by the DA. He said the DA had somewhat changed from its previous position, where it advocated for the relaxation of labour laws, a minimalist approach of the state and the deregulation of the market to accommodate the state role in certain areas.

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“Of late in the DA, there seems to be an appreciation of the role of the state in promoting development. They support the giving of grants and that is not a free market system.

“The ideological proximity of the EFF is closer to that of the ANC but, at the same time, I do appreciate the shift of the political spectrum with regards to the DA,” Breakfast said.

Although critics may disagree, the DA continued to transcend beyond racial categorisation, including not supporting racial-inspired policies.

“The DA says it is colour-blind, so any partnership with the DA will be a challenge,” Breakfast said.

On the other hand, the EFF and ANC were on the same side and shared ideological commonalities. The EFF was unapologetically focusing on the black working class and the ANC advocated for the liberation of blacks in general and Africans in particular.

“Such a coalition [EFF-DA] would be short-lived,” he said.

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“They wouldn’t agree on the question of land and foreign policy, for instance on Palestine and Israel. But when you look at the ANC and EFF, they don’t differ on these policies.”

The EFF and the DA would also clash around the singing of liberation songs.

“They don’t see things the same. You can’t have the fundamental difference,of one party standing on the right and another to the left, and still work together well.

“Those are extreme differences,” Breakfast said.

Political science professor Dirk Kotzé said in principle the DA and Action SA were opposed to the EFF and would not entertain the red berets for the Multi-Party Charter.

The charter is a pre-election agreement that aims to challenge the ANC party and EFF in the 2024 general election and present a united front against them.

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Signatories include the DA, Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, Independent South African National Civic Organisation, United Independent Movement and Spectrum National Party.

However, while the DA and others might not be interested to entertaining the EFF, should the latter become the kingmakers, they would come crawling to it.

“The EFF as a partner attracts no-one. Beside the ideological differences with the DA, there are also political dynamics that would make them clash,” Kotzé said, adding even the ANC was not keen on working with the EFF.

The Gauteng metros were a good example of how ANC and EFF were not the best of partners.