EFF gears up for 12th birthday celebration in Khayelitsha

It’s the first time the EFF is hosting its birthday celebration in the Western Cape — a move it says is long overdue.

A massive red dome, custom-built for the occasion, now towers over the open ground where final preparations are underway.

The party says it has gone all out to ensure that the event is a reflection of its growing support in the province.

Speaking to SABC News, EFF National Spokesperson Sinawo Thambo says the scale and effort of the event highlights the party’s appreciation for voters in the province, particularly after its improved performance in the 2024 elections.

"We're expecting at least 10,000 people to attend the 12th anniversary of the EFF today and as you can see, we've spared no expense,” said Thambo.

“Parliament could take notes from us on how to build a structure with integrity and a dome that is going to be sustainable and not be shaken by the wind."

He says the party is determined to thank supporters in Cape Town, where even critics of the EFF have acknowledged its growing popularity.

"The president [Julius Malema] already said that we can't keep blaming the weather for being unable to give thanks to our people in the province and in a city in particular where the EFF grew significantly in the 2024 elections and where we're expected to grow.”

"Even institutions which are ordinarily against the ideological positions of the EFF, have acknowledged that they expect the EFF to grow from its current trajectory in the city of Cape Town to about 15 percent.”

Thambo says the rally is not just a political milestone but also a platform to highlight long-standing inequalities in the Western Cape, especially in historically marginalised areas like Khayelitsha and the Cape Flats.

"We expect the president to speak to a lot of the issues affecting our people. We know crime is rough in the Cape Flats, rough here in Khayelitsha as well. We know the civil liberty challenges that are here compared to areas that are more astute like your Seapoint, your Constantia, your Rondebosch."

He notes that this is the only province that has not hosted an EFF birthday rally of this magnitude since the party’s formation in 2013 — a gap the leadership is eager to correct.

"We expect a good showing here today. We expect that the people of the Western Cape will appreciate the lengths and breadth that the EFF has gone to ensure that we host this anniversary."

EFF leader Julius Malema is expected to deliver the keynote address, where he will likely reflect on the party’s growth, national political dynamics, and challenges facing poor and working-class communities.

The celebration comes as the EFF positions itself as a growing force in the Western Cape, traditionally dominated by the Democratic Alliance.

The party hopes today’s rally will strengthen its base ahead of upcoming local government contests.