350 ‘prodigal sons and daughters’ leave EFF to go back to the ANC
A group of nearly 350 people claiming to have been members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), turned their backs on the EFF and returned to the ANC on Saturday alleging that the EFF's leadership did not recognise them.
POLOKWANE – A group of nearly 350 people claiming to have been members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), turned their backs on the EFF and returned to the ANC on Saturday alleging that the EFF’s leadership did not recognise them.
The group was welcomed by ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete and ANCYL national convener, Mzwandile Masina at Frans Mohlala House, the ANC’s provincial headquarters, in Polokwane.
Shortly thereafter, the group, made up mostly of youngsters, emerged from the building onto Biccard Street where they began singing songs criticising EFF leader Julius Malema.
Only one person could be seen wearing an EFF shirt, with the youngsters seemingly having been provided with ANC shirts on their arrival at the ANC headquarters.
They claimed they were bulldozed into joining the EFF and now they were not recognised as members.
The leader of the group, Kidox Mogale from Dikgale-Marobale village near Polokwane said there was no leadership in the EFF. According to Mogale, the sub-regional leadership, organisers, sub-regional coordinators and convener of the EFF were all people living in at Seshego, where Malema comes from.
“The issue is that there is no leadership. We are considered as people from the rural areas. We were just bulldozed into the EFF,”said Mogale.
The ANCYL’s Mzwandile Masina said the prodigal sons and daughters were coming back home to the ANC because they had seen the EFF’s manifesto, were insult and disliked how they were treated.
“We are going to equip people with skills, so that they are employable. We don’t want to tell lies of doubling the money for domestic workers. The EFF is going to die natural death because it started out of anger, not out of political principles,” he said.
Mbete said the ANC had taken in 1 400 former EFF members.
“Go and tell all people who followed the ‘fat one’ in Limpopo that they should come back. The ANC is their home,” he said.
ANC chairperson, Stanley Mathabatha said they had already received more than 20 people from the DA in Tshwane into the ANC. “Wherever the ANC goes, we receive new membership and some re-joining us. We expect a large number of people to come back,” he said.
Review’s attempts to get comment from EFF spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi proved fruitless and by the time of going to print, he had not responded to any enquiries made.
