Claims of death threats point at EFF crisis

Claims of escalating death threats by an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) municipal councillor are tell-tale signs that all is seemingly not well within party ranks in the province and at local government level.
Len Meyer, an EFF Councillor serving on Polokwane Council, informed Polokwane Observer that the first death threat had been directed at him via a call to his wife’s cell phone on 26 June this year. Repeated threats have been extended to now also include fellow-EFF member and Ward 10 Committee Member, Frans Phoshoko with whom Meyer has close liaison, it was learnt.
In terms of the estimated 20 threats against his life, of which the last would have been made on Tuesday, Meyer said he was being warned to refrain from delivering services, from imparting skills on their people and from making the other party representatives seem inferior amid perceived rising anger about his commitment to party work and to the community. This was steered from within his own party ranks, he stressed. Meyer alleged that the threats were aimed at stopping him in his service delivery tracks, as he was following through on past instructions from EFF Commander-in-Chief (CIC) Julius Malema to assure water provision to communities in need. According to Meyer the initial call to his wife’s phone had been traced to a culprit who confessed to acting on instructions by a local EFF councillor. The identity of the party representative is being withheld on grounds that no formal complaint has been made.
Pivotal to the problem was lack of party response to his resignation as municipal councillor and party representative, which he had repeatedly attempted to hand in by directing it to party leaders (including the CIC and EFF Provincial Secretry Jossey Buthane) and the party’s Central Command Team (CCT), said Meyer. The first letter was addressed to the CCT on 11 April this year with a follow-up report dated 31 July and sent to Malema on 1 August.
In the copies of his letters of resignation and during the interview with Polokwane Observer he sketched multiple reasons for his resignation. Apart from the death threats it included a haphazard way of conducting party business, sabotage and marginalisation by fellow-party representatives adamant to stop him from delivering on Malema’s orders, continuous backstabbing as well as racial hatred displayed by a fellow-councillor.
Meyer raised concern about the conduct of his enemies having had far-reaching results as he now had to calm down a community threatening with protest over his resignation as well as a water project being halted twice.
In the letter to the CIC seeking finality on the issues at hand, Meyer indicated that he found himself in a position where he was the thorn in the flesh of the EFF. He admitted that he was not the easiest person to work with for he hated laziness and excessive talk combined with arrogance.
In the report to the CCT Meyer requested for his resignation of 30 March this year to be accepted. He stated that from the onset he had experienced resistance to the extent that even joining the party was not hassle-free. He continued to shed light on alleged poor time management, party funds and regalia claimed for own gain, local leaders serving in positions for selfish reasons, complaints from councillors about the way they were treated in meetings and calls for assistance from fighters going unattended.
To date he had not received a letter of acceptance supposed to be signed by Buthane, he stressed. According to him he had attempted to raise the issue with Gardee who refused to address him after a meeting in Polokwane last week. Meyer emphasised that his resignation as councillor had to be accompanied by the acceptance letter. Above all he intended to step out of the position with immediate effect but in an honourable fashion, he added.
Meyer refuted raised expectations of the formation of his own political party and said he was a humanitarian at heart and that he would leave the political arena. He was initially attracted to the EFF by the party’s seven cardinal pillars and founding manifesto. “I will continue supporting the EFF, but I refuse to be part of the organised chaos a moment longer.”
EFF Capricorn Regional Chairperson Ronnie Malema commented that Meyer had resigned about four times in the past, the first having been around December last year but repeatedly withdrew it afterwards. Whenever Meyer’s resignation was queried he had indicated that he was angry about something and withdrew his resignation, he said. According to him Meyer knew he had to follow procedure with his resignation to be channeled to the regional to provincial to national offices. In his view it stemmed from Meyer having trouble with his family demanding his resignation from the party.
If there were any complaints Meyer needed to raise he had to follow procedures. Doing it through the media was regarded as Meyer being ill-disciplined, he stressed.
Asked whether the regional structure would accept Meyer’s resignation Malema said it would have to be discussed.
He denied knowledge of the raised matters and the death threats, saying it was the first time he heard about the allegations. If Meyer approached them with the complaint about the death threat they would act on it, he concluded.
In comment received after the time of going to press, Buthane said he had received Meyer’s resignation approximately two months back but that Meyer immediately thereafter indicated he wanted to discuss the resignation, which he never did. Hence, the matter was considered pending and the resignation not in force. He further responded saying Meyer has never requested an acceptance letter from him. Having taken the route to address the matter in the media has collapsed all opportunity for discussion, he indicated. If Meyer resigned, there was nothing that would make them refuse it, Buthane said. He indicated that there were a lot of people in the EFF who were unemployed who could take up the position. Buthane expressed the opinion that Meyer took the decision under pressure and exclaimed that they were not going to be part of his games.
On the matter of Meyer’s claims related to death threats Buthane said he had to report any threat to the Police.
In conclusion Buthane expressed the opinion that Meyer was bored and wanted to create unnecessary clout around him.

Story & photo: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com