ANCYL president blames Floyd for EFF’s decision not to join GNU

The president of the  African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), Collen Malatji, has made an open call for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to become part of the government of national unity (GNU).

Malatji made these remarks during a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon in Johannesburg.

“The EFF was also invited to the GNU and maybe now that Floyd is gone [from] the EFF, we must re-invite them again because we know that the stumbling block there was Floyd because of his hatred for the African National Congress (ANC),” Malatji said.

ALSO READ: EFF leader Julius Malema rejects ANC coalition plans

ANCYL extends olive branch to EFF

“Now with the new development, they may want to engage,” he added.

Despite calls for the EFF to come into the GNU, Malatji described the South African Communist Party (SACP) as the only party that would be ideal to be in a coalition with the ANC.

“The best GNU we would like to have in the future, maybe to be honest, is with the SACP because they are the only ones that we believe may move towards the left properly,” he said.

“There is no EFF or MK that is left laying towards any progressive direction,” he added.

Why was the EFF left out of the GNU

EFF president Julius Malema had refused to be in a GNU that includes the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+).

The EFF was invited by the ANC to be part of the new government arrangement.

However, there were question marks surrounding his reasons for not joining the GNU.

Shivambu replies to Malatji

On  social media, Shivambu replied to comments made by the ANCYL president saying: “So the others say ‘Floyd wanted to join the GNU’ and these ones say ‘Floyd was the stumbling block for the EFF to join GNU’.”

ALSO READ: Malema’s fears of being toppled as leader left EFF out of GNU

“We warned against mischaracterisation of an otherwise sound and solid decision to join and participate actively in uMkhonto we Sizwe Party,” he said.

Is it too late?

Meanwhile, in a recent interview, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said South Africa did an excellent job of forming a government in two weeks after the elections.

He said Malema had missed out on an opportunity of being part of the government.

“When Malema woke up, we were done,” he said.

The Citizen reached out to EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys to find out if the party was willing to engage once more with the ANC on joining the GNU. This article will be updated when the comment is received.