President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC are afraid of a strong opposition. They are scared that, with Julius Malema on the opposite side, their actions will always be scrutinised.

The ANC wants the likes of Malema back because they are vibrant, radical, militant and know how to invade any political space unlike its own youth league which is only good at fighting for deployment.

The ANC wants to prevent the EFF from growing because they are afraid if the EFF becomes the main opposition party, they will literally run the country. What would Malema benefit by rejoining the ANC that he is not getting in the EFF?

The ANC should start building leaders from among its youth in order to strengthen the party and fight for the rights of the people. It must stop looking outside the movement.

South Africa cannot afford an ANC-EFF merger. We need the left to keep the ruling party and the rich in check. Many, who disagree with Malema's politics of resistance, are wrong to think that our political discourse would improve at the demise of the EFF.

The EFF represents the radical aspect of the ANC and will continue to command its own identity, as long the ANC struggles to deal with its policy discrepancies.

Emanuel Matlala, Schoonoord