Malema may end up only EFF leader left amid plans to oust Shivambu
The party's secretary-general Godrich Gardee's position is also vulnerable, and Dali Mpofu may replace Shivambu or leave the leadership entirely.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy leader Floyd Shivambu, and EFF commander-in-chief Julius Malema. Picture: ANA
A major shakeup at the upcoming Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) elective conference, which will be held at Nasrec in December, is predicted to take place following reports that both deputy president Floyd Shivambu and secretary-general Godrich Gardee’s heads are on the chopping block.
An EFF MP, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Citizen that she was aware of a group within the EFF who wanted to replace Shivambu.
“It is impossible to predict what is going to happen at this point, but it does seem that no one is guaranteed to keep their position. If I was going to make a prediction though, I would say that Malema will definitely remain party president,” she said.
This follows a story in Pretoria News on Wednesday quoting an anonymous senior EFF leader as saying a faction within the party is gunning for the removal of Shivambu.
“One of the groups wants the deputy president removed and only kept as an ordinary member of the national executive committee. He is accused of having failed to perform his duties, of which one of them was to promote the party across the continent,” the source told the publication.
While it was previously reported that there is a faction within the EFF supportive of Malema and one supportive of the party’s current national chairperson, Dali Mpofu, it seems while one of these factions does indeed back Mpofu, this would be for the position of deputy president.
Both factions reportedly want Malema to stay on as EFF president.
READ MORE: EFF faction battles between Malema camp and Mpofu camp begin – report
They both also appear to be united against Gardee.
Sunday World reported towards the end of October that while the two factions both want the current secretary-general gone, they do not agree as to who will replace him, with the faction loyal to Mpofu reportedly wanting EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi to replace Gardee and Marshall Dlamini.
Reports of the two factions first emerged following word that a decision had been made by Malema to remove Mpofu from a list of leaders ahead of the upcoming elective conference.
It was reported that this was due to his busy schedule as an advocate.
This, in turn, led to reports a week later that a faction within the EFF had put forward a list where Mpofu had been named as chairperson.
It was also reported at the time that a faction within a faction also wants Shivambu replaced by Mpofu as the party’s deputy president.
It has now been confirmed by the anonymous source that these calls are growing.
Repeated attempts to contact EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi did not bare fruit.
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