When the EFF was formed and later took its first seats in the National Assembly more than 10 years ago, the political landscape in SA changed for good.
We may not agree with some of the party’s pronouncements and posture, but the EFF MPs brought vibrancy to an otherwise sleepy parliament.
Who would forget the chant: “When are you going to pay back the money?”
This was aimed at former president Jacob Zuma to partially repay the state-funded upgrades to his private Nkandla residence as directed by the public protector. The EFF was relentless in its demand.
Their militancy cascaded down to provincial and municipal chambers.
True, the party is not running any municipality in our province, but the reality is that its presence is felt.
It is for such reasons that many will be taken aback by the new directive banning all councillors and MPLs in the province from participating in any activities in their respective municipalities and in the Bhisho legislature.
The party’s justification is that it wants all its public representatives in the province to focus on building party structures in their areas in the build-up to the 2026 local government elections without being distracted by their government obligations.
We are told the directive runs up to November 15, at which time it will be reviewed to see how far they would have gone with their organisational work.
During this phase, exceptions will be granted only when “urgent or unavoidable matters arise [in councils or the legislature], [but members] must first seek and obtain written approval”.
While the motivation may be rooted in trying to improve the fortunes of the EFF in next year’s elections, the tactic risks doing far more harm than good.
Voters are faced with service delivery challenges right now. They can’t afford to have voices speaking on their behalf taking a break, even if it means for one sitting.
The absence may also create resentment with perceptions that the EFF abandoned voters in a time of need.
The party may find a means of navigating this phase but it also risks finding itself at variance with legal provisions, such as the Municipal Systems Act which places the onus on councillors to ensure participation in council business and to act in the best interest of residents.
By the party’s own admission, some members are also finding it difficult to accept the directive. The latter may lead to defiance by some members while the former may result in Cogta taking action against EFF councillors.
Either way the party may find itself with more distractions as disciplinary measures are taken against some of its members.
That will inevitably defocus the party from its intention of rebuilding its structures.
Daily Dispatch
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