By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has insisted that there is no need for his party to work alongside the Democratic Alliance (DA) or Freedom Front (FF) Plus in the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Malema was delivering a public lecture at Rhodes University on Monday, 05 August 2024.
The event is a significant part of the Rhodes University Leadership Week, which focuses on “Security and Good Governance in Africa”.
He told students that the African National Congress (ANC), EFF, and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party belonged to the same family.
The EFF and MK Party are both splinters from the African National Congress.
The two organisations are also not part of the ANC-led GNU, which is made up of nine parties, including the DA and FF Plus.
Malema said claims that his party made unreasonable demands during coalition talks were false.
“When people have sold out, they will say all kinds of things they want to say, but it’s not true. We’ve never made unreasonable demands.
“One of the reasonable demands we made in 2016 was that Jacob Zuma must resign as a president before we give the ANC our votes – they refused. In this year’s negotiations, we said we are not even asking for your president to resign.”
Malema has also called on Rhodes University to change its name, replacing it with that of Black Consciousness movement founder Steve Biko.
He urged Rhodes University students to agitate for name change.
He told students at the university there was nothing stopping them from demanding change on the campus.
Malema said Rhodes was a racist and imperialist who would not have wanted black students at the university. He said many institutions were still named after brutal individuals who made lives difficult for African people.
He asked the learners if Grahamstown could change its name to Makhanda, then the university could do the same and pinpointed Biko as the perfect option.
“One of the people who has been a part of this institution is Steve Biko. Biko, who came to advance, during those NUSAS [National Union of South African Students] days, the argument of why certain white liberals cannot determine our destination, and argued that point from this Rhodes University,” he said.
“When you’ve got a figure like that not only associated with the struggles of the students at that time but equally having an association with the best part of our country, the Eastern Cape, what hesitates you from changing this university from Rhodes to Steve Biko University?” he said, to a round of applause.
Founded in 1904, Rhodes University is a well-established University located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
It is a small research intensive university which enjoys the distinction of having amongst the best undergraduate pass and graduation rates in South Africa, outstanding postgraduate success rates, and the best research output per academic staff member.