EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini has vowed that his party will go all out to topple what he called “ANC thieves” in the Eastern Cape in the upcoming general election.
Dlamini was addressing young people and workers at a community meeting in Southernwood, East London, on Saturday.
He said the EFF was preparing for the ANC’s funeral on the election day, May 29.
“ANC mayilale ngoxolo [rest in peace],” he said, while addressing scores of EFF members in isiZulu, isiXhosa and English.
“Enough is enough, fighters. Young people of the Eastern Cape, this is your opportunity to fight for your rights.
“This is your chance to say: ‘We are tired of people who have stolen our future.’”
Dlamini slammed the government for the way it had handled the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) problems.
He labelled higher education minister Blade Nzimande and premier Oscar Mabuyane as “thieves”.
“Tell Mabuyane that degrees are not for sale, you have to study at university to obtain a qualification,” Dlamini told the crowd.
He also lamented government neglect, saying it was evident in various parts of the province, and pointed to sanitation problems as among the issues that continued to plague many communities.
“People are forced to relieve themselves in bushes because toilet money was stolen in the Eastern Cape,” Dlamini said.
“We must dislodge these thieves from government.”
Dlamini urged universities to insource services such as cleaning to ensure job creation.
He said ANC members and businesses were abusing the tender system to siphon off money.
“Fighters, this election is about restoring our dignity.
“When tourists want to see people who are sharing dam water with animals [they] are being sent to the Eastern Cape.
“People of the Eastern Cape deserve better.
“The time of being in slumber land is over.
“As we are fighting for economic freedom in our lifetime, we want to make sure that the Eastern Cape has job opportunities.”
Many unemployed graduates were roaming the streets.
Dlamini said only the EFF could deliver jobs, land, houses and free education.
He urged members to join the party’s leader, Julius Malema, at the Eastern Cape leg of its election manifesto launch at the Buffalo City Stadium on March 21.
“Let us fight for our freedom,” Dlamini said.
The EFF Student Command had won elections at several institutions of higher learning in the province.
Dlamini said party members should build on the foundation laid by these victories.
“You must ensure that days of studying in the dark because of load-shedding are over on May 29,” he said.
ANC provincial spokesperson Loyiso Magqashela shrugged off Dlamini’s remarks.
“That’s a rich comment coming from well-known cohorts of tenderpreneurs who are day dreaming,” he said.
“For the record, our record in terms of what we have delivered speaks volumes and political tourists like Dlamini cannot be taken seriously.”
On the allegations against Mabuyane, Magqashela accused Dlamini of being “just a political juvenile seeking relevance from his cult leader”.
He said the public was well aware of the Bhisho High Court judgment in 2023 in favour of Mabuyane against Fort Hare and the SIU.
In addition, the premier was on record as saying that he never bought or sought favours to obtain a degree at Fort Hare, a prestigious institution of which he was an alumnus.
“We found it necessary to provide clarity in response to the infantile disorder displayed by the Dlamini/ EFF and its attention-seeking attacks directed at the ANC and premier Mabuyane,” Magqashela said.
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