OPINION | EFF should not be distracted by defections, but focus on upcoming assembly

In an EFF podcast in recent weeks, Julius Malema drew a line in the sand and dared former president Jacob Zuma of the MK Party to bring another political battle to him. He did not just promise a fight back, but also to win it again. He said he has won every battle with Zuma before.

To add salt to the wound, Malema said it was Zuma who had always started battles with him and in defence he had won all of them. He said it was not Cyril Ramaphosa who expelled him from the ANC as Malema has said in the past but it was Zuma who did it and used Ramaphosa to execute the plan.

In his usual combative and bold style, Malema showed serious annoyance over what Zuma and his party are doing poaching leaders from the EFF. He is hurt by the departures that all went to the MK Party.

There are two recent departures of provincial leaders in his home base of Polokwane who defected to the ANC. But the defections to the MK Party have been prominent national leaders including the red berets' deputy president, Floyd Shivambu.

Malema is annoyed even more by what he sees as an attempt to weaken his movement ahead of the National People's Assembly next month. He sees a strategy employed where EFF leaders or figures have decided to leave in a staggered fashion so that there are resignations a week or weeks apart creating an unending story of EFF losses. He recently wrote on X after Adv Dali Mpofu defected to the MK Party that he knew of two more defections that are certain but delayed to extend the pain for the party.

These defections are also sharpening the contradictions within the EFF. These are not so much ideological as they are mere matters of political strategy. Some relate to who are fighters touting for the positions of secretary-general and deputy president positions. The push by young people for Mbuyiseni Ndlozi to take the SG position has gained momentum but it seemed not to be a preferred option at the centre of the party.

The movement was hoping that fighters would be discussing and debating policy documents released ahead of their assembly. But on social media, they are attacking defectors, especially Shivambu and the MK Party. The EFF treasurer has sought to manage this by asking fighters to focus on policy discussions. Perhaps this is happening in branches but in public the fighters are discussing the MK Party and defected leaders. They are led by leaders such as Sinawo Thambo who are caught in the drive to throw mud at defectors and the MK Party.

I think the MK Party saw this was coming and emphasised when it announced the constitution that its members are not allowed to castigate leaders of other parties and throw insults. So, the EFF is finding itself insulting without a response. In the process, it comes across as wounded fighters instead of the disciplined gallant fighters the party has sought to project itself as. It contradicts the fighters’ recent change in posture in parliament from its association with disruption, insults and disrespect to a calmer, measured and arguments-based robust engagement.

This took many by surprise pleasantly so. The EFF became in practice a leading opposition party to the government of national unity (GNU) on account of readiness, preparedness, comprehensive arguments and the calm militancy of positioning it showed. It showed the party understood that its older approach had got it a lot of recognition but was not enough to grow its electoral support above 10%, but the movement had shed support by about 1%. This is not the direction it wants to go, hence the change of tact.

Perhaps expected of a pre-internal election period, the fighters have in the month or so become a bit distracted from its new posture. Perhaps no one in the top leadership is telling everyone to read the environment carefully and not fall into baits pushing back to a party of insulters and obsession with fighting Zuma that once worked well for the party but had its limits.

So, Malema announcing a war with Zuma may spur more fighters to fight instead of discussing party policies and strategy. In the meantime, the MK Party will become even more attractive for fighters who are tired of fighters generally like-minded parties. This move can distract the party even more and defocus society from the new growth the Red movement is entering.

The fighters feel betrayed but they are not looking at what might have caused these defections and reset. Self-introspection is a much more powerful force for growth than inspecting others out there.

• Zondi works for the University of Johannesburg and volunteers on active citizenship in the Devoted Citizen NGO.