Malema warns of ‘betrayal’ ahead of EFF conference
EFF leader Julius Malema has warned his party’s members about infiltration and division within the party, claiming that "double agents" are actively working to destabilise the movement.
The EFF is preparing for its third National People's Assembly in December, where new leadership with be elected.
Malema addressed delegates at the Gauteng Provincial General Assembly on Sunday.
Malema spoke to the defections of senior members, including his former deputy president Floyd Shivambu, former national chairperson Dali Mpofu, and MPs Mzwanele Manyi, and Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
All have joined former president Jacob Zuma's MK Party, which has emerged as a significant challenger to the EFF.
Malema said the party has experienced dangerous levels of infiltration, which he believes were perpetuated by the founders of the movement.
"This challenge we have faced, which you must as delegates reflect on, is one that can only be characterised as infiltration. Infiltration manifests itself in different ways, and contrary to popular belief, it does not only begin at easily identifiable signs of being a double agent, but it begins at the level of compromising ideas.
“It is when ideas and principles are sacrificed at the altar of self-interest, that infiltration manifests itself, and that self-interest can be disguised as being in the best interests of the movement.
“The EFF was not only confronted by infiltration for the purposes of sabotage in elections, or for the purposes of destroying the organisation as we know it. We were also confronted by an ideological infiltration and political degeneration," added Malema.
Malema characterised resignations by senior members as an "assassination attempt" on the party.
“Perhaps we must be thankful that the path to desert us was chosen instead. Perhaps we must be thankful that we did not die.
“But we must register today and for future generations to remember that the deserting of the EFF at this critical moment in our liberation struggle constitutes an assassination attempt.
“It is time for important fighters to not individualise even (during) this moment of infiltration and betrayal of the EFF,” he said.
“The infiltration did not start when members resigned. It began when individuals in the movement saw themselves as the custodians of revolutionary thought, allowing self-interest to overshadow our principles,” Malema explained.
Challenges Facing the EFF
The EFF’s conference, set for December 12-15 at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, comes during a period of significant challenges for the party.
The party aims to elect new leadership, review its performance, and set a new strategy. However, factionalism, leadership disputes, and defections have disrupted the party's internal cohesion.
Malema urged delegates to remain focused and to resist attempts to individualise the party’s mission during this critical time. “It is time for fighters to stop individualising this moment of betrayal and focus on defending the EFF’s principles,” he added.
He urged members to refrain from engaging in behaviour that sow divisions in the party.
“If you keep quiet when your name is used to divide and undermine the integrity of the organisation, your name shall be disqualified from contesting for any position in the organisation. While people do wrong things in your name you must be able to stand up and say not in my name,” said Malema.
Malema also urged candidates to remain loyal to the party even if they were not elected to leadership positions.
“Loyalty to the organisation means that members will remain active members even when they are removed from their positions of responsibility; loyalty means members of the organisation will not join in the opposition and opponent forces who unfairly criticise the organisation and its leadership,” he said.
Swipe at Jacob Zuma
Malema accused Zuma of using populist rhetoric about unity for personal gain.
“How do you say you can unite people when you are 82 years old, having failed to unite them for the past 82 years? You think you can do it now? The unity you are talking about is not lip service. It’s not something used to mobilise people for the sake of positions,” Malema warned.
“We need this unity of Africans in practical terms. That’s why we are the only organisation that has got EFF Nigeria, EFF Ghana, EFF Nigeria,” he said.
He told delegates that the party “would not capitulate” to former president Jacob Zuma or his newly formed MK Party.
“We are not going to sell the future generation for the dreams of an 82-year-old man who is corrupt to the core. We are going to fight corruption under Jacob Zuma and even after Zuma.
“Zuma is corrupt. We were not misled about the corruption of Zuma."
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