HE took a swipe at media houses, detractors and fired a warning shot, that those who want to go, must go now…
Those were the words of Economic Freedom Fighter boss Julius Sello Malema, last night addressing supporters in Soweto, for the first time since the departure of his ‘lieutenant’ Floyd Shivambu, who will now report to Nkandla homestead.
Clad in red cap, Malema said media organisations such as eNews, SABC and Channel 405 Newsroom Africa, were the mouthpiece of detractors and should not be taken serious.
“They drive a certain narrative on social media and their reporting is biased, especially this useless Newsroom Africa, of which the original owners are known to me, who used to be EFF’s members,” as he also took a jab at particular anchor Xoli Mngambi, whom he referred as ‘Mr Suites’.
He also told the jubilant forces that he has reassigned the party responsibilities previously held by Shivambu, to Secretary General Marshall Dlamini, who will also serve as the party’s chief whip in Parliament.
Former party spokesperson Sinawo Tambo will take over Shivambu’s seat in Parliament, while Nazier Paulsen will replace Mzwanele Manyi, who has also decamped to the MK party, warning that “we’re fighting now’ he told the cheering crowd.
Malema used Monday’s address to hit back at Shivambu — who refused to renew his EFF membership — saying he would not beg anyone to stay.
“You must leave today because nothing is going to change now. Leave now, we have no reason to beg anyone. If you want to leave now, even if we are alone, we will still speak truth to power,” a visibly irate Malema said, urging those who wanted to follow in Shivambu’s footsteps to depart from the party before the elective conference.
Malema’s close allies’ lawyer Dali Mpofu, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, and current chair Veronica Mente are said to be among those on their way out.
He demanded that party members who remained silent on Shivambu’s departure clarify whether they intended to stay or leave, adding that those who chose to keep mum amid attacks on the EFF were “silent enemies of our organisation”.
“You are too busy after other resignations, popularising certain people that they must take over, yet they are silent when people decide to abandon you. Why can’t they choose you? Why do you keep on choosing the people who never choose you? When it is time for them to choose you — they are silent,” he said, without naming names.
“They are choosing what looks like greener pastures. Many of them are opportunists because they want to see whether they will emerge in the upcoming third people’s assembly before they decide whether they will remain in the EFF or not.”
Malema urged party members to unite and close ranks against any elements that might seek to use the December conference as an opportunity to “infiltrate and destroy the EFF”.
“Many of them are using the third people’s assembly as a threat. If they do not get elected, or are part of the leadership discussions, then they will leave and join the MK party.
“We must never be blackmailed by those who want to threaten us with leaving after the third people’s assembly. I want to say to them, ‘Leave now, so that we can know how many soldiers the party has left,” he said.
“We must guard against opportunism; factionalism and self-entitlement; greed and all attempts to distract us from our generational mission.”
Malema also indicated they will go to other regions particularly KZN- which they lost during elections- to address his followers.
The party is to hold its third conference to elect new leaders, in four months time.
If Juju’s self-expression is anything to go by, frustrations and mistrust signs are beginning to show within the red-berets.
Image (Is EFF showing signs of exodus, as per its head-honcho Julius Sello Malema’s address on Monday)?
