EFF cosies up to De Lille in Brandfort

Photographs of embattled Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille with the leadership of the EFF in Brandfort have sparked great interest on Twitter, with speculation that she may be about to leave the DA, which is trying to unseat her from her job, and join the EFF.

#EFFWinnieMandelaMemorial Patricia de Lille just arrived in Brandfort . CE pic.twitter.com/yxmW4FefxY

— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) April 11, 2018

She addressed crowds of mourners at the EFF’s memorial service for the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in the Free State town to which she was banished in the 1970s.

Although representatives from other parties, including the ANC, have attended the memorial, the presence of De Lille so far from Cape Town have raised questions about what she’s doing cosying up to the top brass of the EFF in this manner.

The DA attempted to have her ousted in a motion of no confidence vote in Cape Town earlier this year, but not all their councillors supported it. The EFF also voted against De Lille’s removal.

The DA believes she is guilty of abuse of power and corruption and wants her gone for bringing the party into disrepute.

The EFF, however, was very welcoming of her on Wednesday.

In her address, De Lille said, among other things, that she had “learnt from Mama Winnie that politics is not for sissies”.

She said that today’s politicians were “plastic” and “there for their stomachs”.

She had harsh words for Madikizela-Mandela’s critics, charging that those who “never even lifted a finger in fighting against the struggle” had no right to say a word.

“Who are you?” she said.

She added that when she’d last seen Madikizela-Mandela the struggle stalwart had asked her about her troubles with the DA: “The last time I spoke to her she asked, ‘What are those boys doing to you?’ I said: “Don’t worry Mama, I have this under control,’ and I remember fondly that husky voice and her laughter.”

She reminisced over marching with Mama Winnie against Thabo Mbeki’s government to demand ARVs for South Africans.

“Winnie, I want to say hambe kahle my sister, mother of the nation, flower of the nation. Mama was tough, but she cried with us.”

She later joked that Mama Winnie might “start an ANC branch, or EFF, possibly” when she got to heaven.

#EFFWinnieMandelaMemorialService Mpofu: You heard she said she was the first one kicked out of parliament, maybe its time that she returns.

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) April 11, 2018

Have a look at some of the reaction below:

We are recruiting all over the country soon we will see FF+ members 😂😂😂💃

— Rasputin 🚂🇿🇦 (@Chuchu_Magala) April 11, 2018

When DA throw u out u know where home is@EFF#Patricia de Lille

— Khiba_BAM (@BamKhiba) April 11, 2018

https://twitter.com/motswana_wa/status/984055187743694848

My prediction is and the writing is on the wall that Patricia de Lille's "new home" is going to be the EFF, it's just a matter of time…

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Minister De Lille in India to woo tourists to visit South Africa

— Thembi B. Mothapo (@mothapo_thembi) April 11, 2018

Remember Patricia delile was A PAC member

— Sisa Mbuli (@SisaMbuli5) April 11, 2018

Is this a subtle cue that De Lille may join the EFF if sacked from the DA?

— Phadi (@PhadiPlanner) April 11, 2018

https://twitter.com/RepairMama/status/984061998047678464

Mmusi maimame now be like pic.twitter.com/uehv3xzwuY

— Lucaz Sehumz (@LucasSehume) April 11, 2018