EFF willing to be in GNU — on condition that DA is excluded, Malema says
Malema was elected to be leader of the EFF for another five year term.
15 December 2024 - 18:24
by Thando Maeko
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Julius Malema pictured at the EFF's conference. Picture: Freddy Mavunda/ Business Day
The EFF, which concluded its policy and elective conference on Sunday, says it is willing to be part of the government of national unity (GNU) on condition that the DA is not part of the coalition government.
In a closing address to the party delegates who elected him to lead the party for another five year term, EFF president Julius Malema suggested that the party is relying on the disintegration of the GNU in the near future, paving the way for the EFF to enter.
"We are not going into the government to save the ANC, we are going into government to work for our people...Helen Zille is leaving; once [she] is out we are entering," Malema told delegates on Sunday.
The ANC shed a monumental 17 percentage points in the election to win just 40% of the vote, requiring it to form a coalition government with nine other parties: the DA, IFP, GOOD, Patriotic Alliance, UDM, Rise Mzansi, PAC, Al Jama-ah and Freedom Front Plus.
The EFF electoral support also slightly declined Its national support dropped to 9.5% in the May general elections from 10.8% in 2019, allowing it to be overtaken by Jacob Zuma’s relatively young MK Party.
During coalition negotiations leading up to the formation of the GNU, the EFF placed a condition on the ANC that it would join the coalition without the DA and FF Plus while the DA rejected suggestions that it would join a coalition with the EFF and MK.
About 2 000 delegates elected about 66 Central Command Team (CCT) members including the top six who were all elected unopposed. The CCT is the highest decision making body of EFF between conferences.
The EFF’s newly elected leadership team will be at the helm of the party until its 2029 elective conference and bear the responsibility of ensuring that the party claws back from its electoral losses in the upcoming 2026 municipal elections.
Goodrich Gardee, the party’s former secretary-general, has been elected as the new deputy president. He replaces Malema's former right hand man, Floyd Shivambu who joined the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party in August.
Marshall Dlamini retains his position as secretary general while former chairperson, Veronica Mente has been replaced by EFF MP, Nontando Nolutshungu. EFF's spokesperson, Leigh-Ann Mathys was voted as deputy secretary general, replacing Poppy Mailola.
Some of the resolutions adopted by the conference includes the doing away with regional structures and replacing them with sub-regions and changing the EFF student command to a youth structure which will allow for anyone who is between the ages of 14-30 to join regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in higher education institution.
"Doing away with the regions does not mean these regions are dissolved...they will go back and continue to work as they are until this leadership has met and developed guidelines on how we are going to go about removing regions and introducing the sub-regional structures," Malema said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
EFF willing to be in GNU — on condition that DA is excluded, Malema says
Malema was elected to be leader of the EFF for another five year term.
The EFF, which concluded its policy and elective conference on Sunday, says it is willing to be part of the government of national unity (GNU) on condition that the DA is not part of the coalition government.
In a closing address to the party delegates who elected him to lead the party for another five year term, EFF president Julius Malema suggested that the party is relying on the disintegration of the GNU in the near future, paving the way for the EFF to enter.
"We are not going into the government to save the ANC, we are going into government to work for our people...Helen Zille is leaving; once [she] is out we are entering," Malema told delegates on Sunday.
The ANC shed a monumental 17 percentage points in the election to win just 40% of the vote, requiring it to form a coalition government with nine other parties: the DA, IFP, GOOD, Patriotic Alliance, UDM, Rise Mzansi, PAC, Al Jama-ah and Freedom Front Plus.
The EFF electoral support also slightly declined Its national support dropped to 9.5% in the May general elections from 10.8% in 2019, allowing it to be overtaken by Jacob Zuma’s relatively young MK Party.
During coalition negotiations leading up to the formation of the GNU, the EFF placed a condition on the ANC that it would join the coalition without the DA and FF Plus while the DA rejected suggestions that it would join a coalition with the EFF and MK.
About 2 000 delegates elected about 66 Central Command Team (CCT) members including the top six who were all elected unopposed. The CCT is the highest decision making body of EFF between conferences.
The EFF’s newly elected leadership team will be at the helm of the party until its 2029 elective conference and bear the responsibility of ensuring that the party claws back from its electoral losses in the upcoming 2026 municipal elections.
Goodrich Gardee, the party’s former secretary-general, has been elected as the new deputy president. He replaces Malema's former right hand man, Floyd Shivambu who joined the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party in August.
Marshall Dlamini retains his position as secretary general while former chairperson, Veronica Mente has been replaced by EFF MP, Nontando Nolutshungu. EFF's spokesperson, Leigh-Ann Mathys was voted as deputy secretary general, replacing Poppy Mailola.
Some of the resolutions adopted by the conference includes the doing away with regional structures and replacing them with sub-regions and changing the EFF student command to a youth structure which will allow for anyone who is between the ages of 14-30 to join regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in higher education institution.
"Doing away with the regions does not mean these regions are dissolved...they will go back and continue to work as they are until this leadership has met and developed guidelines on how we are going to go about removing regions and introducing the sub-regional structures," Malema said.
maekot@businesslive.co.za
Malema clinches third term as EFF leader
EFF faces funding challenges amid internal and external shocks
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.