Article
The desperate EFF and MK
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
IN the recent election on May 29 this year, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)’s support declined to 10% of the national vote, from 11% in 2019. The decline was good news, in my opinion.
The EFF is a dangerous, marxist political movement that should never come near power in South Africa. That the EFF is in our legislature is mystifying to me.
Why do South Africans vote for people who promote violence and blunt racism? Having lost votes on May 29, and then chose not to be part of the government of national unity (GNU), the EFF is now desperate for attention and relevance, along, with Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.
At the parliament last week, the EFF and MK Party kept interrupting the speeches of DA leaders. It was unnecessary interruptions that were motivated by desperation for attention. I’m not against interruptions in parliamentary proceedings – what I am against is unreasonable, juvenile interruptions.
It was despicable to see. It was conduct that is counterproductive to the governance of the country. It underscores the weakness of the EFF and MK Party in the post-May 29 political setting. The EFF and MK Party know very well that being outside of the GNU has weakened them.
During the negotiations to form the GNU, the EFF reached out to the ANC, in an attempt to persuade the ANC to form a coalition government with the EFF and without the DA. The ANC could not be persuaded – instead the ANC opted to proceed to form a GNU with the DA, IFP, and smaller parties.
Julius Malema’s reaction to the May 29 election outcome was telling. Addressing the media after the results in Midrand, he was emotional and lashed out at South Africans.
And then there is VBS Bank corruption scandal that implicates Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu, both leaders of the EFF. The VBS scandal proves that there is zero difference between the ANC and the EFF when it comes to the attitude toward corruption.
MK Party’s amateurish behaviour
The MK party has not been serious about governance from the beginning. They started by disputing the outcome of the May 29 election and boycotting the parliament. There is nothing wrong about disputing the election – so long the dispute is on reasonable grounds. During the GNU negotiations the MK made ridiculous demands – including the demand that Ramaphosa resigns.
After winning 58 seats in the election, they were supposed to respect the democratic process, project maturity and the appetite to be part of the parliament institution.
Instead, the MK Party has conducted itself in an immature, amateurish way post-May 29. They thought everybody would bow to them. Well, that never happened. The country moved on. They are not powerful enough to stall South Africa’s democratic processes.
My question to South Africans who voted for EFF and MK Party is this: Are you happy with the conduct of your parties? How does this behaviour advance your interests as a voter? Surely you expected the people you voted for to conduct themselves in a civil manner and represent your interests in parliament. Isn’t that what you want?
Zuma only cares about himself
What we learned from last May’s election is that Zuma is a master political strategist for himself and his interests. He understood his appeal very well, and used it to fight his battles with the ANC.
Zuma’s MK party is not about the drive, the eagerness, the determination to improve the governance of South Africa. The party is about Jacob Zuma and his battles in the ANC.
It’s unfortunate that the people who voted for him could not see through this. Why couldn’t they question the fact that Zuma led the MK Party while he was still a member of the ANC? They should have questioned this as it demonstrated lack of integrity from Zuma’s part.
Zuma’s arms deal trial begins in April next year. That is what is in Zuma’s mind, not the interests of South Africans. His strategy with the MK Party was to collapse the ANC and then force it into a negotiation that would result in Ramaphosa leaving power and Zuma’s preferred leader taking over the ANC. Ramaphosa’s replacement would have to find a way of pardoning Zuma or having Zuma’s charges dropped. That strategy failed spectacularly.
Zuma is now facing a disciplinary hearing in the ANC, for his formation of the MK Party while he was still a member of the ANC. I doubt Zuma cares. He’s out of the ANC, with nothing to lose.
In observing South Africa’s parliament, it’s clear that the far left, race-based political parties are weaker. That can only be a positive for South Africa.
What these parties and their supporters will do though, and have started doing already, is wage a racially divisive campaign that brands the GNU as a racist government that is still controlled by the white minority. All false, of course.
My hope is that the GNU withstands and survives such campaigns. The GNU presents an opportunity for South Africa – an opportunity to establish a new path for the country.
Under this GNU, we must see improvements in economic growth, crime rates, immigration policy, the prison systems, educational outcomes, health care facilities, and so on.
As for the EFF and the MK Party, my hope is that these parties implode by 2029, and sensible parties like IFP, Action SA, Freedom Front Plus, and others grow. The race-based, far left parties should disappear, they are not needed in South Africa. PM
© PHUMLANI M. MAJOZI