There are reports that MK party leader Jacob Zuma tried to convince Julius Malema to close the EFF.
The president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Student Command has appealed to Julius Malema to protect the party from being swallowed up by the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
Sihle Lonzi spoke at the party’s third National Peoples Assembly (NPA) on Friday at the Nasrec Expo Centre.
His remarks come after revelations that the MK party’s president Jacob Zuma and the EFF’s former national chairperson Dali Mpofu had invited Malema for a meeting to convince him to close down the EFF and move its support to the MK party.
Lonzi praised Malema for being steadfast in defending the party from being erased from the political landscape.
“How can the EFF be closed in the boardroom when it was never formed in a boardroom?”
EFF born from poor and workers
He said the EFF was formed by the poor and workers who met at Uncle Tom’s Hall in Soweto several years ago to form the party.
“The middle class and the poorest of the poor said go and form the EFF; they did not call you to a boardroom,” he said.
Lonzi said the widows of the Marikana miners would be disappointed if the EFF were closed down.
He also said the student movement would be disappointed if the EFF were to close down.
“What will we say to the Marikana widows? They came to you and said we want an alternative to the ANC.
“The Marikana widows did not ask you to form the EFF so you can save the ANC. They wanted you to form the EFF so you can govern South Africa and become an alternative.”
Lonzi said the EFF had made inroads in ensuring that cleaners and security staff are insourced in some municipalities around the country. He said they would also be disappointed if the EFF were to be swallowed by the MK party.
Delegates encouraged amid defections to MK party
The EFF Gauteng chairperson, Nkululeko Dunga, also told delegates not to be disheartened by the betrayal of some senior EFF officials who have now joined the MK party.
“This assembly allows us to recalibrate. We can correct some mistakes here in this venue to guard against opportunistic and disloyal tendencies,” he said.
Dunga said the EFF should take a stand against betrayal and disloyalty.
“To let things slide for peace and friendship is liberalism,” he said.
Ndlozi absent
Meanwhile, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, believed to be banned from attending the assembly, has not been seen yet.
Reports suggest that he could be punished for allegedly betraying the party.
However, the EFF has not confirmed this.
On Saturday, the EFF will elect its new leaders who will guide the party over the next five years.
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