The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have taken decisive action against more than 400 of their public representatives, including councillors and MPs, who failed to provide transportation for their constituents to attend the party’s 10th-anniversary celebrations.
As a result, these representatives will be barred from attending the EFF’s milestone event at the FNB Stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg, scheduled for this weekend.
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The party’s decision to publicly name and shame these officials and subsequently revoke their invitations has sparked debate, with some critics arguing that EFF leader Julius Malema’s leadership style borders on dictatorship.
Nonetheless, the party remains firm in its stance to hold public representatives accountable for their obligations.The controversy surrounding the EFF’s recent invitation to controversial Kenyan academic Professor Patrick Lumumba has also caused tensions.
Lumumba’s previous endorsement of a bill in Uganda that advocated for the death penalty for homosexuality drew criticism from members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Despite the outcry, the event at the University of Cape Town proceeded, with the EFF disavowing the bill while defending its decision to host Lumumba.
Among the notable figures listed as failing to provide transportation for their constituents were former EFF KZN chairperson Vusi Khoza, an MP who played a significant role in the party’s exponential growth in the KZN province.
Additionally, Phiwaba Madokwe, a high-ranking EFF MP with the internal rank of ‘commissar’ and former secretary general of the EFF Student’s Command, was also on the list.
The list further included two other MPs from the National Council of Provinces, Slindile Luthuli and Brenda Mathevula, along with seven MPLs from various provinces and a total of 417 councillors from five provinces.
The party had given these representatives a six-month window to organize transportation for EFF supporters to attend the anniversary celebration.
The EFF released a statement on Wednesday night, clarifying its directive to public representatives, issued on January 31, 2023, following the party’s first Central Command Team (CCT) meeting of the year.
The directive aimed to ensure that the representatives fulfilled their responsibility of bringing their claimed constituents to the momentous event, encompassing people from diverse backgrounds.
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In response to the situation, the EFF praised those public representatives who complied with the transportation directive, emphasizing the importance of ensuring safe and reliable transportation methods led by responsible and experienced drivers.
While some critics deemed the party’s response as excessive, others saw it as an essential step towards accountability within the EFF’s ranks.
