EFF Manifesto Makes Waves


By Nicolette Chinomona    28-Jul-2013 19:00 UTC+02:00 25

imagesThe nation watched as the ANC vs. Malema drama played itself out in the national press over the past year, culminating in the then ANCYL president, Julius Malema, being unceremoniously shown the door of the ANC.

Many doubted that any political career could survive so much turbulence and corruption charges to boot, but Mr. Malema has proved everyone wrong by being a political die-hard. He bounced back onto the national and political stage with his own party (Economic freedom fighters).

While some expected this new party to flare and quickly fizzle out, its newly released manifesto has caused ripples not just in the media, but in government as well, which doesn’t seem to agree with the EFF’s plan to “economically emancipate the people of South Africa, Africa and the world.”

The EFF’s inclusion of state seizure of assets in its manifesto has riled farmers and the government, with Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, moving to reassure farmers by saying that government would not allow “people to sow discord in our farming communities for party-political gains.”

During a recent newspaper interview, the Agricultural minister said that if Malema and EFF supporters occupied farms or agricultural land, action would be taken by the government- what kind of action though is unclear. Farmers who would not want to see their farms occupied, Zimbabwean style, were also warned not to take the law into their own hands, but to rest assured that government would do whatever it takes to stabilise the situation.

Any push that could destabilize the agricultural sector would be another knife wound to the struggling economy. Nationalisation of mines is also on the books and combined with current labour tensions is doing as much to spook investors as an actual poltergeist encounter. One does have to credit Julius Malema with being consistent and persistent with his political dogma, having failed to push a nationalisation agenda whilst in the ANC, he has found another way forward.

Whether Mr. Malema’s party will get public support to give him enough political clout to implement the EFF’s national agenda is yet to be seen. While political analysts doubt the ability of new parties to garner significant support, growing disenchantment with the economy and corruption scandals have diminished the ANC’s historical glow, other parties are becoming a temptation to ANC constituents.

Alas, getting voters to jump ship is never a simple task and most that attempt to often stumble on the terrain of staunch party loyalty and political inertia. Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters believe they can make a political splash by offering voters something old but something starkly new, a voice that ANC voters are familiar with and a rallying call with a foundation of unbridled revolutionary rhetoric.

The commander in Chief of the EFF has said; “We have got a completely different plan. Ours is expropriation of land without compensation. We want to nationalise and those mines we want to nationalise, we are not going to pay for them. Our enemy No. 1 is monopoly capital.” Tough talk, that the under 35 voters being targeted by the EFF will want to hear.

These voters are jobless, disgruntled and disillusioned with the state of affairs in the country, 20 years post-independence and are the same people who Julius Malema was wildly popular with as the President of the Youth League. Young people make a difference when they vote, the historical election of Barack Obama being an excellent example of this.

A candidate that can speak their language and bring them out to vote in numbers doesn’t need to have the backing of Economists to win by popularity. Only time will tell if the EFF has the magical touch to wean under 35 voters from the ANC.



 25 Comments


  1. knox says:

    Im breadwin in my famely nd my villege ,we a going to vote for mr malema .bcs we c no changes for democracy .u have almost 3000 votes now mr malema.

  2. David says:

    i like the EFF pty

  3. john says:

    I nv support that issue of farming bt that one of nationalisation of mines i do kp up EFf

  4. abram penyenye says:

    Let me wait nd c wts really happening in dis party

  5. David says:

    And still the people dont see that Malema is only there to enrich himself. Do you honestlt believe that he started a party for the people? He started this party to enrich himself again after losing all the money he stole from us the people of South africa.

  6. phuti says:

    i m goin to vote 4 malema s party, we r tired of this presidend of the anc viva EFF viva nalema forward nalema!!!! EFF we take the gorverment nxt year

  7. phuti molomo says:

    malema i know u r not a corward broe backward neva forward we go most of the ppl luv u broe we wil meet @ the election time rebone gore who is the winner 100000 voters guaranteed

  8. Rocky says:

    1 bullter 1 eff, come my boy…this isn’t zimbabwe, we’ll shoot the living shits out of you

  9. kgosi koena daniel says:

    im going 2 vote 4 radical change….EFF is the way

  10. chris says:

    malema is go to win the election.timi is comeng u wil see

  11. LUNGA says:

    ONOTHER VOTE 4 EFF

  12. Evans says:

    Don’t u c that even Zuma is enriching himself and his ppl of Nkandla? Me and my family we r going vote 4 EFF, lets Malema a chance he has a ruling spirit, he will enrich himself and the whole of limpopo and gauteng. Remember 50% of ppl in gauteng r 4rom limpopo.

  13. $32798027 says:

    It had to happen sooner or later, but EFF can only grow while there is no pressure to deliver. As soon as they get some power they will be out very soon.

  14. Nathi Mokoena says:

    We want our land back, whether you call us EXPELLED FRUSTRATED FOOLS. We are young and restless. We recruit members day and night and during lunch intervals.
    We are the youth of OR Tambo. EFF IS THE FUTURE!!!

    We are the FREEDOM CHARTER defenders. We making it warm outside the ANC.

  15. Bonang Mashiane says:

    I will vote and recruit voters for EEF. Foward we go

  16. Lazarus says:

    The current gov. let us down. The ANC is satisfied with whites as masters and blacks as servants. Our land was taken by force and uncompensated. We want what belongs to us. No retreat,nosurrender.

  17. mashudu hlokoloza ndou says:

    Mandela said

  18. Nkosi Ntsizi says:

    They are claiming that we are young and arrogent. They forget we are the future of this Country, if we the Youth dont change the situation we are living in no one can. ALUTA CONTINUA . . .EFF…Forward we GO.. BACKWARDS NEVER… Even if we dont get seats next year, Come 2018 will make History we will
    WIN ELECTIONS with TWO-THIRD-MAJORITY. ZUMA is scared saying this emaging Organisation dont stand a chance next year even his affraid of the Lady Dr Ramphela the lady have a good Political background, dating back whn he was with BIKO, President should be affraid.

  19. HF Verwoerd says:

    Just another party of poorly educated morons who think that owning land you automatically become rich, your bank account fills up and they deliver a big-screen -tv , expensive cellphone, good clothes and a bmw to your house. When will you blacks learn that you need to work for the things you want? Even if you go and kill all the whites, and then rob all their shops, where do you think new stock will come from? Do you honestly think that Germany will give you cars for free? Do you think that South Korea will give you electronics for free? They won’t! Let me tell you what is going to happen. If all the whites are killed, it will mean there about 4.5 million people will have a new house and all the belongings inside the house. But that will leave another 40 million people jealous, and how long do you think it will be before the nigerians start taking over the neighborhoods, and killing people for what they have. How long before the Tsotsis move in and turn your dream house into a crime invested nest? Pretty soon, you will be robbed and killed for what you have, and you will be robbed and killed by your own people. Then after you have all murdered each other, the Europeans will come back and start over.

  20. Anonymous says:

    Nahina hayilava presisent yale limpopo i go with u auncle juju

  21. thapelo komane says:

    HF VERWOERD jy praat kak.

  22. thapelo komane says:

    HF VERWOERD jy praat kak. Ons vat jou terug huis toe.

  23. Dama says:

    I am stil waiting for a leader wid Wisdom to lead S.A. Not Malema! Not Zuma! Don’t want no Repeat of Zim in S.A. If u want Economic Freedom go ask Asians for advise-they work! They work day n night to make that money n bribe u Africans in that process. First tell me how u gonna make the land give u the moola! Focus on Agricultural youth programme-maybe u don’t even know how to grow a cabbage! Focus on taking youth to other countries to learn more about Mining before u start talking abt nationalizing etc. Inculcate a culture of patriotism and good citizenship thru voluntary work with an ultimate return at the end for the youth. Sense of entitlement n laziness never helped anyone. Be wise, tactful and strategic to acquire wealth-being unruly rebels wid no tact wil js set us back as a country

  24. Victor says:

    It’s tym 4 a true change in our country,It’s tym dat the country be led by one who represents Youth with fresh and innovative mindset.Youth played an important part in our Freedom now let’s give the rightful owners of the country their Chair in government,that is the Presidancy.Forward with EFF forward,forward with Malema forward….VIVA!!!

  25. Sımon says:

    We are sıck and tıred wıth the ANC lıayıng at us.I wıll be happy ıf EFF can have a sıt ın the parlıament,ı am wıthout polıtıcal party,were can ı get EFF form ı am stayıng at Madıdı ıts a rural area VıVa EFF VIVA.

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