EFF leader Julius Malema said on Thursday the MK Party, which is the third largest in Parliament, would not reduce its support base despite being relegated to fourth place after the 2024 elections.

“There is no MK that is going to reduce us. It will reduce us among tribalists, not among progressive South Africans,” Malema told the media during a briefing in Cape Town ahead of the party’s anniversary celebrations on Saturday.

“There is no MK that can replace us ideologically, politically, and otherwise. You saw yesterday in Parliament, a mess in action,” he said.

He was referring to the flip-flopping made by MK Party chief whip Colleen Makhubele during the vote on the Appropriation Bill in the National Assembly.

Makhubele voted in support of the Bill only to change their vote, claiming she mistook it for the Ad Hoc Committee that was established to probe the serious allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Malema expressed his shock that Makhubele had not corrected herself when she was allowed to do so by Parliament’s House chairperson Cedric Frolick, but “she says we vote in support”.

He also noted that Makhubele had “thrown her toys” when Frolick did not recognise her, instead of EFF MP Omphile Maotwe, when there was an opportunity to object and call for a division when the schedule of budgets of the department was voted.

“The TG (treasurer-general Omphile Maotwe) said ‘we are going against and called for a division’. She threw her toys. The issue was much bigger than emotions. When they objected and called for division, we supported them,” he said.

“She behaved like she was not a leader and threw toys,” Malema added.

He also said the EFF has proven to be an effective opposition party in Parliament.

Malema also said his party was making huge inroads in the Western Cape ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

He said the Western Cape was one of the provinces where the Red Berets increased the number of votes during the May 2024 general elections.

“Research shows that the EFF is to have huge increases in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape. We are here to consolidate the ground because this is where we want to grow,” he claimed.

Explaining the Western Cape as the host of their 12th anniversary celebrations, Malema said the province had never hosted their anniversaries.

“We were told the season is not good, it’s rainy and windy. We have had to take a bold decision that we can’t have a province in the history of our organisation, which has never hosted the national celebrations of the EFF, because we are a national organisation.”

The EFF national leaders moved the anniversary celebrations from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape following the devastating floods that displaced people and left communities in mourning.

“The EFF made the responsible decision to relocate the venue out of respect and solidarity with those affected.”

He also said the choice of Khayelitsha as a venue was significant because it is the second largest township and home to thousands of poor and working-class Africans who lived under the weight of special apartheid and deliberate under-development.

“Khayelitsha remains physically and economically separated from the so-called World Class parts of Cape Town. When the DA-led city speaks of this smart city, they are not referring to Khayelitsha. They are referring to the wide enclaves of Sea Point, Claremont, Constantia, and Stellenbosch, while the people of Khayelitsha are left to swim in poverty, crime, poor sanitation, overcrowding, and the lack of basic housing.”

Malema said they have erected a dome with a capacity to accommodate 10,000 people as the main venue for the rally.

“This structure includes all essential amenities, including sanitation facilities, and will be ready to host thousands of Fighters, supporters, and community members.

“We expect a powerful turnout from surrounding areas, including side B, Site C, TR Section, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Delft, and Belhar.”

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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