MBOMBELA – The EFF will never implode like COPE did, predicts Mr Collen Sedibe, the party’s provincial leader.
With 83 589 people in Mpumalanga voting for it in the recent elections, the first in has ever contested, the 6,26 per cent it received was enough to get two seats in provincial legislature.
Five years ago COPE won a seat here but the party has since disappeared from the radar, if not from the ballots. “We are totally not like COPE,” says Sedibe, who is joined by Ms Ayanda Tshabalala to represent the party. “Our members come from a different crop, including the PAC and Azapo.”
He says only some of the members were formerly from the ANC, which included Sedibe himself who was kicked out.
“The EFF is run better and unlike COPE will not see a fight over positions,” he claims.
Sedibe’s expulsion led to him quitting his job of 13 years in provincial treasury. This, he thinks, will stand him in good stead in his role of performing oversight over the ruling party.
He would not indicate whether they planned to work with other opposition parties, the DA and BRA, in legislature to perform this duty. “Of course we have the right to work together, not as a coalition, but to be the eyes and ears of the people.”
Sedibe says they are very keen to expose any wrongdoing and will not leave the two cases they have asked the Public Protector to investigate unattended.
Going forward to the municipal elections in 2016, he predicts big surprises. “We will make sure we are everywhere by 2016.”
