The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have secured over 1000 new members, it said on Saturday.
“We received 1 100 new members on the first day of recruiting,” said party leader Julius Malema at a press briefing in Soweto.
“If this becomes a trend then we will be getting 1 000 member[s] every day. It is going to be bigger than what we expected.”
This exceeded their expectations, he said.
The EFF — which had gathered at the the Uncle Tom community hall for a two day national assembly — plans to contest next year’s general election.
Malema said the EFF would be officially registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Monday after a few amendments had been made, including changes to its logo.
The EFF logo depicted an arrow instead of a spear, and this was to be changed.
Malema said the party would register with double the required number of members needed to contest the election.
“I was told by the IEC that we should have 500 members to register but we are going register with 1 100 new members,” the former ANC Youth League leader said.
Malema is facing corruption charges in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court. He is accused of making nearly R4-million from corrupt activities, and is out on bail of R10,000.
He faces charges of fraud, corruption, money-laundering, and racketeering.
On Saturday, Malema acknowledged that intimidation was part of politics, but expressed concern about the alleged intimidation of his members.
He said “people with pangas” had intimidated his members during an EFF meeting in the Vaal, but did not say when this happened. He noted that intimidation tactics were worse in Mpumalanga.
“I am more worried about Mpumalanga because they have the potential to kill,” he said.
Malema also encouraged Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and his wife to stay strong amid the rape allegations against him.
Vavi’s lawyer Dup de Bruyn said earlier that a case of extortion was opened against a woman who allegedly tried to blackmail Vavi. He said the case was opened at the Sandton police station on Thursday evening. Police spokeswoman Captain Kym Cloete verified this.
In a statement, Vavi denied the rape of a Cosatu colleague, saying he had been in a consensual extramarital affair with the woman.
Malema said he expected Vavi’s wife to stick by his side and not allow “his detractors any room for joy”. – sapa
Government is ready to act if Julius Malema and his organisation, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), act on threats to seize farms, Beeld reported on Friday.
State must take over ‘all land’, says EFF State must take over ‘all land’, says EFF
Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson told the newspaper that if Malema and EFF supporters occupied farms or agricultural land, action would be taken.
“There is no way we will allow people to sow discord in our farming communties for party-political gains,” she was quoted as saying.
She was reacting to the EFF’s founding manifesto, released on Thursday, in which the organisation said that all land should be transferred, without compensation, to the state.
Joemat-Pettersson told Beeld that it was a misperception that all commercial farmers were white. Violence and farm murders had already traumatised rural communities. Anyone who encouraged illegal action on farms would face the full might of the law, she said.
She warned farmers not to take the law into their own hands and gave assurances that Cabinet members of the security cluster would do whatever it took to stabilise the situation.
All land should be transferred to state ownership, according to the Economic Freedom Fighters’ founding manifesto.
“The state should, through its legislative capacity, transfer all land to the state, which will administer and use land for sustainable development purposes,” the EFF said in its manifesto.
“This transfer should happen without compensation, and should apply to all South Africans, black and white.”
Once the land was under state control, those currently using land or intending to use it would have to apply for a “land-use licence”.
The licence would only be granted once an application was filled out stating what the land would be used for, the EFF said.
The licence would be valid for 25 years and could be renewed based on whether the land was being used as planned.
“The state should, within this context, hold the right to withdraw the licence and reallocate the land for public purposes.”
The EFF said expropriation without compensation was one of its seven non-negotiable “cardinal pillars”.
During the launch of the “protest movement” earlier this month, its leader Julius Malema said the EFF had a plan that included the non-negotiable principles of land expropriation and nationalisation of mines, both without compensation.
“[The EFF is] the people’s organisation, inspired by people’s suffering on the ground,” Malema said at the time.
It would embrace an “anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist ideology”, and aspired to non-racialism and non-sexism. While white capitalist monopoly was an enemy of the EFF, “no one is going to be driven into the sea”.
“You are going to be forced to share.”
At a rally later that day in Sebokeng, Malema told residents that once the EFF became the ruling party it would take the land.
“We are going to take this government and once we take it, we are not going to negotiate, we are going to take our land.
“We are going to take it because it’s our land.”
He also said “those who want land must be given land”.
In its manifesto the EFF said “no one should be allowed to own land forever”.
“[This is]… because those who have money can, over time, buy huge plots of land and use them for counter-developmental private purposes, such as using land as game farms.
“A maximum of 30 years can then be placed on all land leases applied for by private corporations and individuals, with the state retaining the right to expropriate in instances where the land is not used for the purpose applied for.”
The EFF is holding a conference in Soweto on Friday and Saturday to work out its policies and manifesto. – Sapa
The Economic Freedom Fighters will advocate the integration of Africa by eliminating national borders, according to its founding manifesto.
The “protest movement”, led by Julius Malema, said the borders between African countries were “unnecessary”, especially those between South Africa and Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.
“The EFF will … advocate for the ultimate integration of the African continent through the erosion and eventual elimination of unnecessary borders, which, in the case of South Africa will entail the Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland borders in a manner that involves and includes the participation and approval of those countries,” it said in its manifesto.
“This will also be encouraged in other parts of the African continent.”
This formed part of the EFF’s policy on “progressive internationalism”.
The EFF said it would also advocate for free trade across the continent.
On immigration, the movement committed itself to taking up the struggle of all immigrants, whether they were in South Africa legally or illegally. It said immigrants should be guaranteed basic rights when they were in the country.
‘Access to health … education’
“Certain basic rights cannot be denied to any human being who is in South Africa, whether they are in possession of certain documents or not.
“Basic rights that should be guaranteed include access to health, access to education for children, protection from super-exploitation by employers, and access to burial rights in South Africa.”
The process of applying for citizenship should not be complicated.
The EFF is holding a conference in Soweto on Friday and Saturday to work out its policies and manifesto. – Sapa
A defiant Julius Malema has unveiled radical draft policies that seek to turn South Africa into a socialist country in the mould of Cuba and Venezuela.
Malema insists that his Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)stand a good chance of toppling the ANC, and that they are the only credible alternative to the ruling party.
Addressing the media at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on Thursday, Malema said the expropriation of land without compensation and the nationalisation of the mines and other key sectors of the economy are central to his organisation’s policy.
Malema also introduced some new members, including former ANC Youth League North West chairperson Papiki Baboile, former youth league spokesperson Floyd Shivambu and former Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) cadre Mpho Ramakatsa.
MK has just celebrated the raid on Liliesleaf Farm, where Mandela and his Communist buddies were holed up.
Promising to lead service delivery protests, the expelled ANC Youth League president said his party would contest elections on a socialist ticket and “non-negotiable principles”.
The broad movement would also fight “white supremacy”, restore the dignity of blacks and “make it warm” outside the ANC.
This included the expropriation of land without compensation, the nationalisation of banks and mines without compensation, as well as the fight against imperialism and white monopoly capital.
He promised to build a coalition of like-minded parties, civil society movements, church leaders and trade unions to take over South Africa.
Malema unveiled the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) interim national and provincial leaderships, led by himself and national co-ordinator Mpho Ramakatsa, known as the “central command team”.
The national leadership includes actor Fana Mokoena and businessman Kenny Kunene.
Controversial millionaire Kenny Kunene, has, in just a few short days, rebranded himself from playboy big spender to serious politician.
Kunene, better known as South Africa’s King of Bling and for eating sushi off semi-naked models, is now going biblical, comparing himself to Saul, who saw the error of his ways on the road to Damascus, and changed his name to Paul.
Kunene joined Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters, declared his political will, and vowed to leave his old ways behind – including bathtubs of Champagne and his usual bevy of at least 15 beautiful women who made up his modern-day harem.
He said this week the women understood.
To go with his more serious image, Kunene has changed his Twitter handle from @zarsushiking to the more respectable @Kenny-T-Kunene. Whereas the Sushi King would tweet about parties and women, Kenny-T is quoting Plato and Tupac Shakur interchangeably.
The official launch of the EFF comes three years after Malema visited his idol, late Venezuelan president and socialist leader Hugo Chavez, to learn about nationalisation.
Insisting he was prepared to suffer the consequences, Malema said he would be guided by the Freedom Charter rather than “your liberal constitution” in his push for social justice and redress.
He dismissed the constitution as the “product of negotiations and compromises” rather than the will of the people.
Malema reiterated that the EFF would not collaborate with the DA because “our enemy number one is white monopoly capital, and it’s supported by the DA”.
Malema said while his movement’s policies would be decided by the national assembly to be held in Soweto at the end of the month, draft policies included the expropriation of land; nationalisation; free education, health care and housing; cracking down on corruption; as well as industrialisation and the introduction of minimum wages to close the gap between rich and poor.
“We are going to be a government-in-waiting. We will take over South Africa and will usher in the demands of our people. We will fight against white supremacy and for the restoration of black African dignity. Our people should feel comfortable again that this is their soil,” Malema maintained.
He added that white South Africans should be prepared to share land and wealth because, not being prepared to share, “you are going to be forced to share”.
Malema insisted that not even the seizure of his own properties and assets would deter him. “Let them take everything else. They will take the last thing, and then what?”
He said anyone found guilty of corruption would never lead any of the EFF’s structures.
Ramakatsa said the ANC’s time was up because the ruling party had failed to deliver beyond political freedom.
He dismissed claims that Malema was too compromised to lead a party, given the corruption charges he faced. He said “comrade Julius is not guilty until found guilty by a court of law”. It was surprising that the state had charged Malema for corruption but left those he had been accused of corrupting, he added.- IOL
Black consciousness proponent Andile Mngxitama is in talks with Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) for a possible coalition ahead of next year’s general elections.
But he said it was not yet a done deal and he was not one of the leaders set to be announced by the EFF at its advertised press conference on Thursday.
Mngxitama is one of the national coordinators and founders of the September National Imbizo, a movement for young people with a strong emphasis on nationalisation, land redistribution without compensation and keeping politicians and civil servants accountable by forcing them to use public facilities like state schools and hospitals.
He said he would meet leaders of the EFF tomorrow to talk about outstanding issues.
Mngxitama said his movement had considerable support but was currently busy with an audit to determine exactly how many supporters it has.
He also invited other black consciousness movements and parties like the PAC to team up with them.
In an invitation to the press conference at Constitution Hill in Joburg, the EFF said they would announce the outcomes of a meeting by its “National Central Command Team”.
It will also announce and introduce its interim leadership in provinces.
The EFF will also announce plans for a “national assembly” on July 27 in Soweto, where it would invite young people to tell them “what is to be done”. – City Press
Government has failed to redistribute land to previously disadvantaged groups, the so-called Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said on Wednesday.
“[The] government of South Africa has failed to use almost 20 years of democratic dispensation to address and redress the land question,” said spokesman Floyd Shivambu.
“Our people remain in squatter camps, informal settlements, and non-arable rural communities with no forms of subsistence because they do not have access to land.”
Wednesday marked 100 years since the promulgation of the Natives Land Act of 1913 which dispossessed indigenous Africans of land.
Shivambu said government had to pay particular attention to the country’s food economy.
“Food production, packaging, transportation, marketing, advertising, retail, and trade should constitute one of South Africa’s biggest economic sectors,” Shivambu said.
South Africa needed to provide subsidies for small-scale farmers and open packaging and retail opportunities.
“The crisis faced by small-scale black chicken farmers in South Africa leads to a situation wherein they only contribute less than 30 million chickens of the one billion produced in South Africa annually.”
Shivambu said government should develop structural support mechanisms for small-scale chicken farmers to enter the formal retail market.
Furthermore, government should legislate that all food bought for hospitals, schools, and prisons be sourced from small food producers.
With interventions in the agricultural sector, South Africa could develop a food economy exceeding that of its Brics grouping partner, Brazil.
“This will add to [the] creation of sustainable jobs, not the kind of short-term jobs created through infrastructure development.”
The food economy would “save” South Africa’s social ills because it was not heavily affected by changes in global markets, as food demand was “essential and constant”.
He said the EFF would demand expropriation of land without compensation. – Sapa
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