By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has confirmed that Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi will not attend the party’s third National People’s Assembly.
The conference will choose the party’s leaders over the next five years and formulate party policies.
The EFF’s third NPA comes at a time when the party is battling with the poaching of its members by the MK party.
The future of the party is expected to be discussed at this NPA, especially after reported proposals from the party’s former national chairperson Dali Mpofu that the party should merge with the MK party.
Ndlozi’s absence from the EFF’s 3rd National People’s Assembly (NPA) raised public questions. During a media briefing at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Joburg on Saturday, 14 December, Malema addressed the issue, saying: “He is not here. It’s not in our interests to entertain such nonsense. The organisation will show them that it’s bigger than all of them.
While Ndlozi has not spoken on the hostility in his own right, all signs point to Ndlozi being iced out of the red berets—a notion fuelled by his absence from the highly anticipated conference and the party’s tone when the subject of Ndlozi came up during media briefings.
“We are no longer going to answer any nonsense about Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. This matter is closed. You can talk about it yourself, but don’t bring it to us,” Malema said.
“We’re dealing with political issues here, not egoism or people who think they’re bigger than this organisation. The EFF will show them once again that it’s bigger than all of them,” Malema continued.
Ndlozi also failed to clinch a nomination in the new 80-person CCT, the EFF’s highest decision-making body that is set to be elected on Saturday night.
As things stand, the question of Ndlozi’s future in the EFF still hangs in the balance, but the under-fire EFF member remains a member of parliament under the EFF—at least for now.
Malema also criticised uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK), stating that there is nothing black conscious about MK. He claimed that MK leader Jacob Zuma failed to stand for black people during his presidency.
Regarding the Progressive Caucus in Parliament, which includes both EFF and the MK, Malema said that it was formed for orientation purposes.
“This was created to have a group of people with whom we can discuss Parliamentary issues before making decisions. We can still caucus with the ANC or the DA,” he said.