The party will hold its elective conference next week, which is expected to bring about a leadership transition, particularly after a number of high-profile party officials defected to the MKP.
Image: SIBUSISO NDLOVU/AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY(ANA)
Born, bred and buttered in 2013, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) founded by Julius Malema which took a leftist, radical stance, promoting economic emancipation, will be heading to its elective conference with Malema still the president and without it’s founding deputy president, Floyd Shivambu.
The EFF was formed first as a movement and later a political party, after the ANC expelled Malema. He was the president of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) when he was given the boot. Malema, Shivambu and others formed the EFF and they took on the ANC head on in the 2014 national elections, acquiring 6.35% of the vote.
Malema is in charge of the Central Command Team (CTT), the party's equivalent of the ANC’s NEC, the highest decision making body of the party between conferences.
The EFF is currently the National Assembly's fourth-largest party at the moment, behind the ANC, DA and MK Party.
We look at the foundations and history of the red berets.
Malema announced at a press conference in Soweto on July 26, 2013, that the EFF now had over 1,000 members, surpassing the 500-member threshold for IEC registration.
Following the dismissal of the Freedom Front Plus's September 2013 objection, the party was formally registered.
EFF contests the 2014 general elections and records 6.35% of the vote - or 4.09 million votes.
The EFF dismissed MPs Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, Andile Mngxitama, and Mpho Ramakatsa in 2015 and suspended MP Lucky Twala.
Litchfield-Tshabalala joined the United Democratic Movement (UDM), and Mngxitama went on to create the Black First Land First (BLF).
Malema has been accused of using an iron fist to rule the party and eradicating opponents in order to increase his authority.
In response to this criticism, he said that more members who lacked discipline ought to have been kicked out.
A complaint against former President Jacob Zuma was announced by the EFF on August 6, 2015, as part of their PayBackTheMoney campaign in the Constitutional Court.
In Parliament, the party continued to mount a strong push against the Zuma administration, with chants and theatrics such as the Pay Back The Money chants.
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng led the court in declaring on February 9, 2016, that Zuma had violated the constitution and that he had 60 days to follow the recommendations of the then Public Protector Thuli Madonsela at the time. This paved the way for the setting up of the Zondo Commission into State Capture.
A motion to amend the Constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation was filed by the EFF on February 27, 2018.
There were 241 votes in favour of the proposal, only the ACDP, Congress of the People, Freedom Front Plus, and DA opposed it.
The EFF Student Command, the party's student wing, demonstrated its increasing power ahead of the 2019 general elections by winning significant victory in SRC elections at a number of campuses, notably the University of Cape Town (UCT), in 2018.
2021 - Nkandla Tea
In February 201. Zuma and Malema meet in Nkandla for the infamous Nkandla Tea. At the time, few details were revealed publicly about the meeting, but it has since come to light that the EFF leader had sought to persuade the former state president to co-operate with the Zondo Commission in the best interest of the country.
The meeting had also brought the old foes together, and soon after, Zuma allies started slowly joining the ranks of the EFF. The likes of Carl Niehaus, Mzwanele Manyi, Busisiwe Mkhwebane and Magasela Mzobe, would join the ranks of the EFF and would land jobs in Parliament as MPs.
Former EFF chairperson Dali Mpofu soon became Zuma’s lawyer on high profile matters after the meeting. He was part of the EFF delegation and he would later become one of the prominent EFF members to dump the EFF for the MK Party.
2020 - Winnie Mandela School
Malema and the EFF have promised to build the Winnie Mandela Combined School in Alexandra, a school that would be built and named in honour of the Struggle hero Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Malema said the EFF had acquired land to build the school back in April 2020 and that the promised state of the arts school would accommodate academically brilliant pupils from poor backgrounds, those children who had lost their parents to the HIV/Aids scourge and the poorest of the poor.
He said the school would have the "best sporting facilities" and said they would hire highly qualified teachers to the school. He also said the school would have an independent board of trustees. The school has yet to materialize.
Former President Jacob Zuma and EFF president Julius Malema enjoy tea at the former statesman’s Nkandla homestead.
Image: Supplied
In March 2023, the party tried to shut down the entire country in protest at load shedding and to call for the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The demonstration was judged unsuccessful, and supporters also disseminated false information.
2023 - MK Party launched
Zuma unveiled the MK Party during a press conference on December 16, 2023. The launch of the party came as a blow to the EFF as it had been hoping Zuma would endorse the party during the 2024 elections.
After a period of growth during the 2014 and 2019 elections, the EFF slumps to 9.52% of the vote, losing one million votes between the 2019 and 2024 elections.
The EFF were one of the first opposition parties to accept the May 29 elections, despite losing significant support. They announced they were open to speaking with the ANC in pursuit of forming a grand coalition.
Due to the participation of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+), the EFF refused to join the ANC-led Government of National Unity (GNU) in June 2024.
EFF leader Julius Malema addressed the Gauteng EFF provincial ground forces forum at Orlando Community Hall in Soweto on Monday evening.
Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL
Shivambu who was the deputy president departed the party in August 2024 to join Zuma’s MKP. Shivambu’s exit was confirmed at an emergency press conference called by the EFF, wherein Malema announced Shivambu, as his brother, was welcome to return to the party despite the EFF constitution strictly being against such.
A few days later, Malema had a change of heart, leading to him forming a betrayal narrative against Shivambu and a volley of public statements slamming the former deputy. Malema has also since heightened attacks aimed at Zuma, although the EFF and the MKP are understood to work closely together in supporting each other in Parliament, but on the political front, they are at loggerheads as they battle for supremacy in the so-called Progressive Caucus.
Secretary general of uMkhonto weSizwe, Floyd Shivambu.
Image: File Picture
The EFF will hold its elective conference next week, which is expected to bring about a leadership transition, particularly after a number of high-profile party officials defected to the MKP.
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