Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
11 November 2024 | 12:17 p.m. CAT
2-minute read

After having been an EFF member for 11 years and having served as the party’s chairperson for five of those, Advocate Dali Mpofu’s decision to leave has come as a surprise to some political commentators, while others argue that it has been a long time coming.

Political analyst Dale McKinley believes that Mpofu’s departure is a predictable move and is largely due to his long-standing allegiance to MK Party Leader Jacob Zuma.

“Dali Mpofu has always been very close to Zuma. He’s been his main lawyer for many years. He [showed] many indications that he was very close to not just Zuma but that kind of politics. And when MK was formed, my sense was it was just a matter of time,” McKinley said.

Rather than symbolising a mass exodus from the EFF to the MK, Mpofu’s move reflects a general trend in the South African political arena in which it is not unusual for politicians to ‘hop’ from one party to another.

It is unlikely that Mpofu’s defection will spur other EFF members – particularly those without leadership positions- to join the MK Party.  The attraction lies in a guaranteed placement in the MK Party- something ordinary EFF members do not have.

“[There will] probably be some movement. But I don’t think there’s going to be some mass exodus of EFF members precisely because most of the people that have joined the EFF are there because they like the EFF and they believe the EFF is representing them,” McKinley observed.

With regards to the MK Party, concerns have been raised about its stability after various members were expelled and others brought under disciplinary action. McKinley said it is difficult to gauge the state of the party, considering that it is a “one-person show” in which its leader makes all the decisions. This top-down approach may not be politically sustainable for the party and may lead to internal instability, fragmentation and disintegration over time.

Mpofu’s departure is unlikely to affect electoral support from voters in a significant way. On this topic, McKinley drew attention to the May election, in which a large proportion of the electorate opted out of voting. While this translated to a decrease in support for the EFF to some extent, it signalled a major blow to the ruling ANC. However, it is likely that the EFF will have to undergo some reconstruction and internal consolidation, particularly with members like Floyd Shivambu, Former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and Dali Mpofu’s recent defection to the MK Party.

Malema will need to relinquish single-handed control of the party and implement a democratic system, McKinley said, and recommended rebranding the EFF from representing “performance politics” to developing policy positions that will resonate with ordinary citizens.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Habib Bobat.