By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is preparing for its third elective conference, the National People’s Assembly (NPA), at Nasrec, Johannesburg.
During the media briefing, EFF secretary general Marshall Dlamini said everything is running smoothly.
Dlamini said one of the most important things about the assembly is the discussions taking place in the plenary.
“As we are here, we are handing over this organisation back to its owners, which are the delegates. We have quality delegates with the mandates from their branches and provinces,” he said.
“We are confident that when we come out of here, the EFF will be stronger, and it will rise and take its rightful position to lead society and the country.”
The NPA will elect a new leadership structure, consisting of a new president, deputy president, secretary general, a deputy, a treasurer, and a national chair.
The delegates will also elect a new CCT consisting of 40 members.
Throughout the four-day meeting, the EFF will examine its policies and revise its constitution as needed.
The EFF’s strategy is to strengthen its position in politics by implementing organisational reforms, now that the party’s electoral support is at 9%.
One of the recommendations being discussed is to bar members of the CCT from having not completed college.
Since it was first implemented five years ago, this requirement has probably given party members enough time to obtain post-matric credentials if they want to become part of the party’s leadership.
Dlamini has further added that the party has not received MK Party’s well wishes on its upcoming conference.
“The well-wishes we have, (we) got [received] them from different political parties … [including] UDM, ATM and everyone else. I don’t have a letter from the MK Party. They put it in the media. And we are not going to the rally of MK,” added Dlamini.
On Wednesday, MK Party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu said they invited all members of the progressive caucus including the EFF.
He stated that the parties would be allowed to convey their messages of support.
Shivambu said they only invited the caucus members because they shared a similar interest in politics and also their approach to regaining the country’s independence.
To celebrate its anniversary and recent electoral successes, the party will hold a celebratory event at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban.