Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

26.11.2024

3-minute read

EFF leader Julius Malema has likened the desertion of members from the party to “an assassination plot”.

According to political analyst Nkhapeli Nkulo, Malema’s reaction was that of “panic and desperation” at the “huge exodus of senior leaders” from the party. The Ndlozi matter is a factional one with some members of the party feeling that he should play a prominent role in the EFF and others with an opposing view. All these defections are happening around the same time, making it difficult for the EFF to “arrest the matter” in a “calm, calculated and strategic” manner.

As a “shrewd” political leader, Malema will consistently try to master a political strategy. Nkulo stated that the upcoming elective conference will be “crucial” in determining the future of the EFF, and to see if the party is able to withstand this period of “adversity”. Unlike other opposition parties who have not endured for extensive periods of time, the EFF has had “success spanning over a decade”.

Because of their “top-heavy” approach, the EFF has been known for having a “lack of democratic centralism”. Youth leaders who openly challenged Malema were expelled from the party and the possibility that more members will “challenge” Malema is high. The aftermath post-conference is that Malema may lean on other leaders within the EFF.

While Malema and Zuma are both part of the progressive alliance, Malema’s response to Zuma shows that he is aware that Zuma is the “preferred” leader who is “destroying” the EFF. Malema also knows that the “rise of the EFF came at the expense of Jacob Zuma” and that “conflicts and disagreement” between the two in the past will continue.

The Progressive Alliance is about who will advance the “black agenda”. Having two parties who advocate for the same thing leads to a conflict of interest, putting the Progressive Alliance in “jeopardy” and thus culminating in an absence of a move towards an effective political strategy.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat on Sabahul Muslim.