Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2017/02/23

The Economic Freedom Fighters have grown at an unprecedented rate as an independent opposition since the party was formed when members led by expelled ANC Youth League President Julius Malema, broke away from the ruling party in 2013.

It all began in 2012 when Malema, who was the ANC’s Youth League president, was suspended from the party after being found guilty of undermining party leadership and sowing division through his criticism of President Jacob Zuma.

In an opinion piece in the Daily Maverick, the EFF’s Hlengiwe Mkhalipi stated that “Nothing is more frustrating than analysts and journalists whose hatred and dislike of the EFF blinds their ability to not only see the truth and report about it.”

The journalist Mkhalipi is referring to is Gareth Van Onselen, who told Radio Islam that the EFF is a humorous party.

He released a report earlier this month called “The EFF’s Internal Revolution”‚ Van Onselen states that as of February this year‚ 60% of all EFF representatives in the National Assembly had resigned or been expelled since the 2014 general elections.

Van Onselen says the fact that 60% of the EFF’s caucus has resigned, means that there is a huge turnover in the party.
“There must be reasons for it, and they are worth interrogating.”

Van Onselen adds that it does not mean there’s an internal revolution taking place within the party.

The EFF’s Internal Revolution: A short paper I produced on the remarkable turnover rate of EFF MPs in parliament, for the @IRR_SouthAfrica https://t.co/TYXnROcbW1 pic.twitter.com/G9hPdewnE0

— Gareth van Onselen (@GvanOnselen) February 8, 2018

“But it doesn’t necessarily mean that there isn’t one, the fact is we don’t know these reasons and the party hasn’t explained what they are. They never put out a formal statement when people resign, people have fall outs with the party, it all depends on what your definition of a revolution is.”

Van Onselen says forcing 60% of your caucus to resign or be expelled means that there is some kind of revolution in the party.

The EFF’s Deputy Secretary General was scheduled for the debate on Radio Islam, however there was a misunderstanding with regards to the timing of the interview.