Is there any wind left in the EFF's sails, or has it been relegated to making pointless and destructive arguments?
A new book launched this week promises to “unearth” the secrets of EFF leader Julius Malema, but it may be more of a eulogy than a warning of his party’s power.
The once-mighty EFF roared into townships and major cities, promising service delivery, Wi-Fi, and land for all. It made a splash, and Malema was seen as the young upstart who was sure to either be president or give it a real go.
More than a decade later, the party looks as drained as its leader. The fight is still in them, but not the vigour.
Age has caught up with them, and they seem less like hungry soldiers and more like comfortable military veterans content to watch the chaos around them. This image reflected on Malema’s face in court this week.
The dark days
Malema was found guilty on Wednesday of contravening the Firearms Control Act and could face as much as 15 years in jail. This bruising loss comes just more than a month after he was found guilty of hate speech by the Western Cape Equality Court in Cape Town.
He may not have stood before a judge yet to answer to his alleged involvement in the looting of municipal and pensioner funds that collapsed the VBS Mutual Bank, but he is still on trial in the court of public opinion.
A month after his role in alleged corruption at VBS was detailed by the bank’s former boss, Malema lost his long-time political ally and deputy Floyd Shivambu to the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.
The rise of the MK Party, headed by former President Jacob Zuma, had already garnered significant votes from the EFF, replacing it as the third most popular party in the country after last year’s national government elections.
Terrible negotiations after the elections also left them out in the cold when a coalition government was formed and positions were dished out. It was a bruising lesson for a party that went from kingmaker to ice boy.
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Still cool with the kids … but for how long?
The party is still popular among the youth and students, frequently winning campus elections. But instead of it being a catalyst for a political takeover, it has become a firecracker that makes a lot of noise but very soon fizzles into nothing.
The party has been around for 12 years, but has little fruit to show for all those years of victories and youth triumphs. Its biggest problem is the youth who claim to love it so much.
Only 17% of registered voters in last year’s elections were under 30 years old. The young people who were once radical and ready to fight for change had left school and been beaten down by unemployment, poverty, and inequality.
The EFF has done little to save them, and they haven’t put their faith in the party to see if it could.
Now the EFF shouts from opposition benches, often doing their part to hold those in power accountable, but too often weighed down by nonsensical ideas that could do more harm than good to the country.
Kruger Park
One of these is their push to rename the Kruger National Park to Skukuza National Park. It is a move that, as former SANParks CEO David Mabunda highlighted this week, will cost billions.
SANParks and the environmental ministry were apparently not consulted before the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, and EFF strong-armed the decision through. This points to EFF officials, blinded by an obsession with populist and race-based decisions, either being deceptive or completely clueless.
South Africa does not need a dying horse leading it.
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