Economic Freedom Fighters
Spokesperson	Mbuyiseni Ndlozi
Founder	Julius Malema
President	Julius Malema
Deputy President	Floyd Shivambu
Slogan	"Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime"
Founded	17 August 2013 (2013-08-17)
Headquarters	Johannesburg
Membership  (2014)	527,343[1]
Ideology	Anti-capitalism[2][3] Anti-imperialism[2][3] Left-wing populism[4] Marxism–Leninism Pan-Africanism
Political position	Far-left[5][6]
Colours	Red[2][3][4]
National Assembly seats	25 / 400
NCOP seats	7 / 90
Website
effighters.org.za
Politics of South Africa Political parties Elections

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African revolutionary socialist^[7] political party started by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema, and his allies, in 2013.^[8] Malema is President of the EFF, heading the Central Command Team which serves as the central structure of the party.^[9]

It is currently the third-largest party in both houses of the South African parliament, receiving 1,169,259 votes and a 6.35% share of the vote in the 2014 general election. By December 2014, the EFF claimed to have over half a million members, although this has not been independently verified.

History[edit]

At a 28 July 2013 press briefing in Soweto, Malema announced that the new party had over 1000 members, double the 500 required for registration with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).^[10] The EFF is now registered with the IEC, after an objection to its registration by the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) was dismissed in September 2013.^[11]

Splinters and Infightings[edit]

Although in 2015 EFF suffered set backs after suspending MP Lucky Twala and expelled its three MPs, Mpho Ramakatsa, Andile Mngxitama and Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala who went on to join United Democratic Movement.^[12]Andile Mngxitama formed his own party named Black Land Fist (BLF), but the BLF failed to erode EFF support base.

Policies[edit]

A small march by the EFF on Mandela Day (18th July) near the parliament building in Cape Town protesting in support of land reform in South Africa.

The EFF "draws inspiration from the broad Marxist–Leninist tradition and Fanonian schools of thought in their analyses of the state, imperialism, culture and class contradictions in every society", according to one of its declarations.^[13]

It criticises the African National Congress and their primary opposition, the Democratic Alliance, for their allegedly pro-business stances, which it claims have sold out the people of South Africa to capitalism. It promises to tackle corruption, provide quality social housing, and provide free primary healthcare and education for all, as well as proposing to expropriate "stolen land", nationalise the mining and banking sectors, double welfare grants and the minimum wage, and end the proposed toll system for highways.^[14]

High-profile members[edit]

High profile members of the Central Command Team include Floyd Shivambu and newspaper columnist Andile Mngxitama.^[15] Controversial businessman Kenny Kunene joined the Central Command Team in July 2013 before resigning from the Central Command Team on 20 August 2013 and from the organisation on 26 August 2013.^[16][17] On 4 November 2013, it was announced that Dali Mpofu had formally left the ANC after 33 years of membership and joined the EFF.^[18]

Support base[edit]

According to a dated November 2013 Ipsos survey, the party's supporters are younger than average, with 49% being younger than 24, overwhelmingly black (99%) and mostly male, with women representing only 33% of the support base. A disproportionate number of supporters live in Malema's home province of Limpopo (28%), while only 1% live in KwaZulu-Natal, a more populous province.^[19]

The party was expected to make an impact in the upcoming general election, taking between 4 per cent and 8 per cent of the national vote. This was potentially enough for the party to hold the balance of power in provinces where the governing African National Congress was in danger of losing its absolute majority.^[14] In fact, the ANC retained its absolute majority, but the EFF moved into third place, surging past the shrinking Inkatha Freedom Party, with a 6.35% share of the vote to the IFP's 2.40%.

Election results[edit]

Parliament[edit]

National Assembly
Election year	# of overall votes	% of overall vote	# of overall seats won	+/–
2014[20]	1,169,259	6.35	25 / 400	25

National Council of Provinces
Election year	# of overall seats won	+/–
2014	7 / 90	7

Provincial elections[edit]

Criticism[edit]

The ANC has accused the Zimbabwean ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF), of supporting the EFF so as to destabilise the ANC.^[21]

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has levelled a number of criticisms at the party including what the union has described as "Julius Malema's history as a tenderpreneur" and the party's "military command structure".^[22] There has also been a feminist critique of the party's militarism,^[23] as well as allegations of misogyny from leading members of the party.^{[24][25][26][27]}

Vusi Khoza, the party's candidate for Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, has a criminal conviction for his involvement in what was believed to be a xenophobic attack on foreigners at Albert Park, Durban in December 2009.^[28]

It has been argued, by journalist Jane Duncan of the South African Civil Society Information Service, that the party's documents "reproduce racial stereotypes".^[29]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• van Onselen, Gareth (29 July 2013). "Malema steals young communists' thunder". Business Day. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014. 
• Pillay, Verashni (21 February 2014). "EFF: You want land, a loan? You got it". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014. 
• Julius Malema (preface), EFF 2014 Elections Manifesto, Economic Freedom Fighters.

External links[edit]

• Official website
• Supporter website