THE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) sought to demonstrate in numbers at the weekend that the party was now ready to take over state power.
Members and supporters of the EFF filled about three quarters of the 30,000 capacity Olympia Park Stadium on Saturday during its second anniversary celebrations in Rustenburg in North West. The rally is its sixth since the EFF was formed by leader Julius Malema in 2013 and the third to be held in a open stadium — a rare achievement for parties in SA, except for the African National Congress (ANC).
For the Democratic Alliance’s national launch of its Vision 2029 strategy last month in Soweto, the official opposition party hired a school hall — which insiders had described as suitable for television visuals because of its size.
The EFF, however, appears to be prepared to take bigger risks while demonstrating its ability to draw large crowds.
Watching the EFF rally, expelled former general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Zwelinzima Vavi seemed to draw inspiration from the EFF’s achievements under Mr Malema — who was expelled from the ANC in 2012. Mr Vavi wrote on his Twitter account that those who want to kick him and his supporters out of Cosatu should be cautioned by the numbers the EFF was able to draw.
"The purging brigade — called "mabahambe" (let them go) must have a look at Rustenburg today — that’s what intolerance produces," said Mr Vavi.
Mr Malema said on Saturday the EFF was preparing to contest all the more than 4,200 municipal wards in local government elections next year. He said the party hoped to have more than 2-million volunteers — 500 per ward — to assist in the election campaign.
The EFF believes it can upset the ANC majority in the Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni metros in Gauteng, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in Eastern Cape, and Rustenburg and Tlokwe local municipalities in the North West.
In an interview with Business Day ahead of the rally Mr Malema said the EFF’s objective was "to force the ANC as a nonliberal antiblack and corrupt party out of Parliament, government and the whole state machinery".
"We have no doubt that we are the right party to do so. This is because we are the only opposition in SA. All other parties believe in what the ANC believes in: the neoliberalism encapsulated in the National Development Plan that everyone adopted or agreed with," he said.
Economic Freedom Fighters. Picture: BALESENG MOSOTHO
THE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) sought to demonstrate in numbers at the weekend that the party was now ready to take over state power.
Members and supporters of the EFF filled about three quarters of the 30,000 capacity Olympia Park Stadium on Saturday during its second anniversary celebrations in Rustenburg in North West. The rally is its sixth since the EFF was formed by leader Julius Malema in 2013 and the third to be held in a open stadium — a rare achievement for parties in SA, except for the African National Congress (ANC).
For the Democratic Alliance’s national launch of its Vision 2029 strategy last month in Soweto, the official opposition party hired a school hall — which insiders had described as suitable for television visuals because of its size.
The EFF, however, appears to be prepared to take bigger risks while demonstrating its ability to draw large crowds.
Watching the EFF rally, expelled former general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Zwelinzima Vavi seemed to draw inspiration from the EFF’s achievements under Mr Malema — who was expelled from the ANC in 2012. Mr Vavi wrote on his Twitter account that those who want to kick him and his supporters out of Cosatu should be cautioned by the numbers the EFF was able to draw.
"The purging brigade — called "mabahambe" (let them go) must have a look at Rustenburg today — that’s what intolerance produces," said Mr Vavi.
Mr Malema said on Saturday the EFF was preparing to contest all the more than 4,200 municipal wards in local government elections next year. He said the party hoped to have more than 2-million volunteers — 500 per ward — to assist in the election campaign.
The EFF believes it can upset the ANC majority in the Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni metros in Gauteng, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in Eastern Cape, and Rustenburg and Tlokwe local municipalities in the North West.
In an interview with Business Day ahead of the rally Mr Malema said the EFF’s objective was "to force the ANC as a nonliberal antiblack and corrupt party out of Parliament, government and the whole state machinery".
"We have no doubt that we are the right party to do so. This is because we are the only opposition in SA. All other parties believe in what the ANC believes in: the neoliberalism encapsulated in the National Development Plan that everyone adopted or agreed with," he said.
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