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I want to retire from politics at the age of 55 – Malema
EFF leader says he will step down as party president if asked to do so.
EFF leader Julius Malema. Picture: Twitter
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says he would like to retire from politics at the age of 55 and pursue a different career path.
“In my plan of things, I want to leave politics at 55 because I came in very young. I want to try something else and to enjoy life outside of politics because I don’t know any other thing except politics,” Malema said.
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The EFF commander-in-chief was speaking during an interview with SABC News broadcast on Sunday evening ahead of the Red Berets’ eighth birthday celebration on Monday.
Malema suggested that he might go into farming should he decide to step down from politics.
My interest is more in agriculture, hence my love for the land. When they expelled me from the ANC I went to farming.
Asked about his continued leadership of the EFF since its formation in 2013, Malema said he had no problem with stepping down from the party if he was asked to do so by its members.
He said the number of years he has led the EFF did not matter because he gets a fresh new mandate when he gets re-elected.
“When you get elected, it doesn’t say you’re a continuing president. You’re a newly elected president because what matters is your mandate and not how many years you have been leading.
“So, I’m here to lead the EFF for this term and when it comes to an end, I’ll hand over the report to the conference. The conference will decide whether I continue or I must leave.”
Malema denied that he had a stronghold over the party saying even if he got “removed from the leadership of the EFF, I’ll continue to support them from behind because I’m that type of person who can be led”.
He referenced former late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as an example of a leader who has led his country for years, saying Cuba “became a successful project” because of Castro.
“It’s not automatic that your long stay in power means failure. Cuba is not a failure, it’s a successful socialist state.”
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