EFF leader Julius Malema. Picture: Michel Bega
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema’s intervention in the Eastern Cape election outcome seems innocent but there may be more to it than meets the eye.
Malema criticised delegates at the party’s third Eastern Cape provincial people’s assembly in East London for failing to elect a single woman to the provincial leadership structure.
Following a special meeting held by the provincial command team on Sunday, the war council of the EFF announced it had resolved the women who had contested the positions of provincial deputy chair (Nokuthula Mlokoti) and deputy secretary (Zikhona Njoli) would assume those roles.
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Malema has in the past been accused of choosing “yes” people to be in leadership positions.
He was also recently accused of interfering in the EFF’s Gauteng provincial people’s assembly, where it was suggested he favoured Nkululeko Dunga for chair. Dunga was later elected unopposed.
Political analyst Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast said: “Malema tends to pick and choose his own people who will just pay respect to him.
“Even when the EFF broke to prominence … he was accused of that by people like Andile Mngxitama and other people who broke away from the EFF.
“Mandisa Mashego walked away from the EFF with a broken heart, the question is why?” said Breakfast.
“Most of these guys come from the ANC Youth League, they come with that culture of purging opponents who are causing a threat to them.
“Malema is smart, he understands politics, it’s just that he cannot stand criticism. He is not the kind of person who accepts criticism, in my opinion.”
Breakfast said he did not believe Malema and his deputy Floyd Shivambu would step down to accommodate a woman in their positions as they forced those in the Eastern Cape to do.
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