EFF filling FNB Stadium symbolic, says analyst

The EFF celebrated its 10th anniversary at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.

The 95 000-capacity stadium was filled beyond capacity, forcing secretary-general Marshall Dlamini to ask stadium management to open the gates for more supporters to be allowed onto the pitch.

An overflow field was also set up outside the stadium to allow supporters to follow proceedings.

In his address, Malema praised the red berets for building the country's third biggest political party within the space of a decade.

Mashego said the filling of the stadium is equal to two seats in the legislature.

"I think it means momentum on the part of the party, it means a shift of many people from thinking right but more thinking left to the high levels of poverty. More and more young people are going to move top a party that has got a great promises for them.

"Him (Julius Malema) filling the stadium is reminiscing of the ANC during the time of Thabo Mbeki, but we need to be very careful about the filling of the stadium because 80 to 90 thousand people are close to either two or three seats in the legislature.

"So, a stadium is not a large number of seats in the legislature and to know the high levels of voters as young people do not go out to vote and it remains high."

He added that the EFF has the potential to assist poor communities. 

"The EFF in its own capacity has the ability to go into rural communities and get 20 to 30 hectares and ensure that it becomes sustainable by introducing farming in rural areas. We all need to understand that when poor people become affluent even though their political ideologies change."

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