Why the ANC wants Malema to ‘come back home’
Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni
says it is no surprise that the African National Congress (ANC) has extended an
olive branch to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema.
Both ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy, David Mabuza, have called on Malema to return to the governing party.
The former ANC Youth League president was expelled from the ANC in 2012 for bringing the party into disrepute.
Fikeni believes there are two reasons why the ANC would want Malema to return to the fold.
He says the first reason is the ideological similarities between the EFF and ANC.
"The current political situation has forced upon South Africa to focus on issues of socio-economic transformation which have not necessarily been attended for since 1994. And ideologically that's where the EFF is agitating, and that's where the ANC's resolutions are drifting.”
Fikeni says another reason is the fact that former president Jacob Zuma is no longer at the helm of the ANC.
READ MORE: Malema will not return to ANC amid invitations to return
"So once the Jacob Zuma factor was out of the question and issues of corruption that the EFF has been raising, they see it as an opportunity to further extend a hand to the EFF."
However, Fikeni adds this may not lead to the EFF dissolving before the 2019 national elections.
"Because they also may believe that they may also garner many voters and supporters."
This may lead to greater cooperation between the two parties on a range of issues, says Fikeni.
This is not necessarily a sign of weakness from the ANC
"ANC knows that its strength would be more if they were working with the EFF, but it would not necessarily be weakened as a party,” says Fikeni.
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