Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has vowed to deal harshly with divisive elements within his fledgling party, saying there will be no room for “staff riders and anarchists”.
Delivering his political report at the EFF’s first national elective conference in Bloemfontein yesterday – dubbed the National People’s Assembly – Malema came out guns blazing against those who openly lobbied for positions.
The EFF’s commander-in-chief said such conduct would not be tolerated in his party and those who behaved in that fashion had joined the third largest party in parliament for all the wrong reasons.
“Fellow fighters, we should also be careful of staff riders, who joined the organisation for personal gains,” said Malema to loud applause from about 3000 delegates who had thronged the Callie Human hall at the University of the Free State.
“Staff riders are fighters with uncontrollable ambitions for power who arrived in the organisation today and tomorrow they want to lead the organisation.
“Staff riders are those who refuse to accept that, in certain stages, the organisation can redeploy any of its fighters to a different responsibility even when such redeployment means that your salary and benefits will be reduced.”
This also became Malema’s first tacit admission that factionalism was starting to be an issue within his party, formed just 16 months ago after he was fired from the ANC.
Asked about this at a press conference after his speech, Malema sought to downplay the matter and said he was merely cautioning EFF members to be vigilant against those seeking to destabilise the party.
There’s been reports that some groups, mainly from Gauteng, were unhappy with Malema’s leadership style and had threatened to interdict the conference through a court order but this has not yet been acted upon.
Malema also blasted EFF structures in the Western Cape, the Northern Cape and the North-West after their provincial congresses were plagued by factional fights that culminated in physical violence in some instances.
Malema said the newly-elected central command team, or the party’s national executive committee, would take disciplinary action against all members implicated in “disruptive behaviour” ahead of the national conference ending tomorrow.
“Anarchy, as the highest form of lawlessness, will never be tolerated in the EFF,” he said.
Malema also took a swipe at the governing ANC, saying it brought about a leadership crises.
He said the ANC’s policies had failed to create jobs and deliver basic services while its deployees were running parliament in a partisan manner.