Mbalula faces backlash over claims of welcoming former EFF members to ANC

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has been a subject of criticism on social media following a video in which he claimed to have welcomed former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) back to the ruling party.

Addressing the community of Merafong on Sunday, Mbalula welcomed the return of the members, supposedly from the EFF, and said more would follow suit.

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“Let’s thank our comrades who have come back to the ANC from that lost party called the EFF. We thank you for you could have gone anywhere and joined other parties, but you chose the ANC. We thank you so much, we have heard you. You’re not petty. You’re political,” he said.

“You have given us political reasons today why you’re coming back to the ANC. Other people when they’re leaving political parties, they’re bitter, but you’re not bitter.

“There are many people in the EFF who are coming back to the ANC and we’re welcoming you back with open hands. Come and work for your party and the people of South Africa and we welcome that.

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“We will not burn these T-shirts, we’ll take them to Malema and he’ll see what he can do with them − whether they clean with them or keep them. We also want to tell those who want to come back to the ANC that they’re most welcome.”

Videos shared on Mbalula’s X page show a number of people exchanging EFF T-shirts for ANC’s as they sing and dance in celebration of their return to “the glorious movement”.

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“Desperate times call for desperate action,” said EFF Gauteng.

Although EFF in Gauteng admitted that one of the people in the crowd was its former PR councillor, it clarified the councillor was one of the 62 who were expelled from the party in October following its 10^th anniversary celebration.

“Besides the ousted councillor, no other members of the EFF in the West Rand have registered any dissatisfaction with the organisation,” it said.

“The ANC in Gauteng has shown that it is willing to go to extreme lengths in putting the brakes on the EFF’s election machinery, as such, it comes as no surprise that they have now resorted to laying claims on EFF members that are now joining ANC.”

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Defending the exchange of EFF T-shirts for ANC’s, one of the new ANC members said it was just a “symbol” and not a matter of a rented crowd.

“The issue of the T-shirts, it was just a symbol to say we are leaving the party,” she said.