There is a school of thought that the EFF was formed out of anger. The Reds, as they are known, were formed after Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu were axed from the ANC. While many thought Malema and Shivambu were thrown into the wilderness, they revived their political careers by forming the EFF.
In the last general elections, the EFF garnered six per cent of the votes and became the third most powerful political party in the country. It was a good performance, given that they didn’t have enough time to campaign. They also didn’t have enough resources to fund their election campaigns.
The pertinent question is: will the EFF go beyond six per cent or decline in the forthcoming elections? According to history, all the ANC breakaways perform well in their first elections and decline in the subsequent elections. Will the Reds follow the same route?
The EFF has fashioned itself as a radical party, targeting the disgruntled youth. It has also made education fashionable. Its spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, holds a PhD. The party’s deputy has a Master’s degree under his belt and Malema is reading for a Masters degree. The chairperson is a Senior Counsel.
One of the strengths of the Reds is that they know how to use the media to their benefit. They have a knack of attracting media attention and staying in the news for long. They do so by causing havoc in Parliament and using language that ensures that the media covers them.
Having said that, there is a view that the EFF will continue to be a kingmaker in the next elections, as they did in the last local elections. Simultaneously, there is nothing that suggests that the EFF will garner more votes in the forthcoming elections.
