EFF promises to ‘wake up’ KZN

Published May 14, 2014

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Durban - The new kids on the provincial legislature block, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), say they are prepared to go to court to force the government to provide basic services to local communities.

The party qualified to send only two representatives to the legislature, but the EFF’s commissar for organising and mobilisation, Nathi Phewa, said it would make its presence felt.

“Those who sleep during the sittings will wake up. We will bring the heat in that house,” he said.

Phewa said the EFF would focus on housing, fighting crime, reducing water and electricity debt, doing away with labour broking, improving basic education and ensuring the dignity of traditional leaders.

“We will bring these issues in Parliament for debate as soon as we come in. If it comes to the push, the EFF will go to court to get those issues addressed speedily.”

Phewa accused Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu of “smiling at criminals” and not doing enough to deal with taxi violence.

“Mchunu must stop smiling when dealing with taxi violence. Commuters are killed during the shootings.

“There are still schools in the province which have no textbooks because of the inefficiency of the (education) department.”

He added that the KwaZulu-Natal government was being selective when it came to respecting traditional leaders.

“King Goodwill Zwelithini is getting preferential treatment. He is being listened to when he talks, but other traditional leaders are not being heard.”

 

Phewa said the party would start launching branches and regional structures in preparation for provincial and national conferences. As with the national Parliament, EFF representatives in the KZN legislature would break the dress code and wear their red party regalia, as a sign of being “hard at work”.

The Mercury

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