EFF still dithering over KZN questions

Floyd Shivambu

Floyd Shivambu

Published Sep 20, 2016

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Durban - Two weeks after the disbandment of the KwaZulu-Natal leadership and its regional structures, the Economic Freedom Fighters has yet to announce interim leaders to run the affairs of the party in the province.

The party cancelled a meeting scheduled to be attended by party leader, Julius Malema, and also to introduce interim leaders in Durban at the weekend.

This took place as disgruntled members are mobilising the rank and file to demand that national leadership respond to the grievances they raised a week ago.

The group held a meeting at Umbumbulu, outside Durban, on Sunday to report to disgruntled branches on the disbanding of party structures, among other things.

Nhlanhla Mthembu, one of the leaders of the disgruntled group, said they still wanted leaders such as deputy president Floyd Shivambu, deputy secretary-general Hlengiwe Hlophe and Marshal Dlamini, who is a deployee to the province, suspended for their handling of the election campaign in KZN.

“We will be busy with that campaign, calling for the suspension of Floyd, Hlengiwe and Marshall. We insist on their suspension,” Mthembu said. “It’s part of our campaign. They must be suspended and we will put pressure,” he added.

The EFF had said it disbanded the structures because they were formed in a hurry for the elections, and that it wanted to build quality branches ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Mthembu added that they wanted the EFF to start afresh the negotiations on co-operation with other parties on the running of some municipalities lost by the ANC in the August 3 elections.

“The leadership did not ­consult with organisation structures,” he said, in reference to the EFF deciding to vote with the DA and IFP in hung municipalities.

The party has previously said the disgruntled members had defined themselves outside the party, and as such, they had expelled themselves.

Mthembu said they would not back down on their demands until they were attended to by the EFF.

“They don’t want to engage us. When we raise the issues, they run to the media,” he said.

“They want to avoid us for fear that we will divert them. That’s why they don’t want to directly engage with us,” Mthembu said.

Acting national spokesman, Fana Mokoena, could not be reached for comment.

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