EFF leader Julius Malema. (Photo: Gallo Images / Luba Lesolle) 
The problem of corruption in South Africa seems to have found its way into the EFF — particularly in Gauteng, leader Julius Malema said in a keynote address at the party’s third provincial assembly on Sunday, 11 September.
After a new provincial leadership had been elected, Malema said in his speech: “We have a problem of corruption in South Africa and we’ve started to have a problem of corruption in the EFF now… When people are sent to the leadership of the EFF, who are leading in regions, provinces and all of that, people will demand money in exchange for helping those people with whatever problems they are confronted with.”
In one instance, he said, a party researcher had been allegedly hired without an interview or the knowledge of EFF members and caucus.
Recruitment drive
Over the past few months, the EFF has embarked on a drive to recruit one million members by the end of the year. Malema said it was disturbing that some regions had failed to meet their campaign targets, but urged them to do so after the assembly.
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“You must make sure you recruit the real numbers to reach the target. Because it is Gauteng that is going to deliver South Africa. All of us must know that Gauteng is what will liberate South Africa and without a grounded EFF that is based on the quality of highly recruited members, then the organisation will not have a future,” he said.
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Malema said the EFF had warned branches against using signatures to recruit members as these could easily be forged and, as a result, would undermine the growth of the party. Despite this, some had used signature campaigning.
“People went ahead… and thought we will not know the system exposes them. And we’ve since suspended them. It is those people who commit treason in the EFF by lying to the organisation and creating an impression that the organisation is alive when it is not alive,” he said.
‘Sober analysis’
Malema urged the newly elected leadership to remain honest and give sober analysis of the growth of the party to allow national officials an opportunity to reflect on how such branches could be assisted. He warned that the party could not fight against corruption successfully if its leadership “accept bribes and become part of palace politics and corrupt elite” of South Africa.
“You ought to stay away from corrupt people. And do not take unsolicited, even solicited gifts from dodgy characters who may be in trouble tomorrow. And because they are in trouble, they will drag you into those troubles and you will drag the EFF into those troubles.”
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Malema argued that to win the battle against corruption, action must be taken at grassroots level.
“Corruption must be fought from inside here, internally in the EFF. If it raises its ugly head, we must chop the neck of corruption in the EFF if we’re going to win [the battle against] corruption outside the EFF,” he said.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-08-21-economic-freedom-looters-how-the-brothers-shivambu-stole-from-the-poor/
In the Sedibeng district, south of Johannesburg, a man was allegedly hired to be a researcher without an interview and without the knowledge of the EFF or that of the caucus or the entire leadership of the EFF, Malema said.
“You can see that there is a corrupt individual who has been engaged in a corrupt programme to corrupt the organisation and we will not tolerate such people in the EFF. We don’t care how powerful you are… Once you engage in such shenanigans, you will regret the day you joined the EFF because it will not allow corruption.” DM