The group of MPs who were expelled and suspended from the Economic Freedom Fighters rejected the ruling today and vowed to return to Parliament.
“It must be remembered we do not recognise the EFF disciplinary process or the decisions of the current leadership,” Andile Mngxitama and his colleagues said.
“‘We wish to reiterate that we remain members of the EFF and we are also members of Parliament. Therefore, we shall be carrying out our duties as expected.”
They went on to repeat their allegations of financial misconduct against the EFF leadership, which had formed part of the party’s reasons for disciplining them in a ruling made public yesterday.
“We now have more evidence of financial misconduct which indicates massive political consequences for our party and revolution.”
Mngxitama and fellow MPs Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala and Mpho Ramakatsa were expelled with immediate effect. The last member of the so-called Group of Four, Lucky Twala, was suspended for three years but the disciplinary committee said the sanction would be suspended for a year on condition that he apologises to the party within 10 days.
Twala has not done so and associated himself with the statement by the rest of the group.
They added that the EFF proceeded to expel them after asking the Gauteng High Court, where they were challenging the outcome of the party’s National People’s Assembly held in December and the leadership’s authority to conduct a disciplinary process, for more time to respond.
“‘We note that the EFF leadership has announced our expulsions and suspensions after it had asked for an extension of time to respond to our High Court application,” the group said.
‘”Essentially, these expulsions and suspension are an amateurish attempt to undermine the courts and laws of the country. As usual, EFF leaders disregard any
rules they don’t like and create their own for their convenience…This is how the apartheid regime operated.”
The EFF has been riven by infighting since its December conference where members accused party leader Julius Malema of ignoring democratic process and imposing his preferred candidates for leadership positions.
The main charge against them was bringing the organisation into disrepute.
The ruling stated: “Their conduct is beyond the reach and the control of the EFF. They are operating as free agents not susceptible to organisational direction and discipline.”‘
Among the charges Mngxitama faced was intimidating the party’s treasurer into handing him financial statements and then leaking them to the media.
The group said they were not personally informed of the findings but learnt about their expulsion and suspension in the media.
ANA