EFF leader Julius Malema. Photo: Victoria O'Regan/Daily Maverick/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has said he intends to remain in power, making it clear to any potential challengers that he is in charge.
Malema made his first public appearance this week at the National Election Results Centre in Midrand on Saturday, after the national election results were all but confirmed, with the EFF failing to capitalise on its gains in 2019, a disappointing result for him. Mail & Guardian He struck a defiant tone at a press conference about whether his position as leader was in jeopardy.
“The president [Jacob] “Zuma can do that at 82. That means you will all wait for me until I am 82, because I am here,” he said. “I am not going anywhere. That is not going to happen. I am here. I am not going anywhere. Come to me and take a chance. I will teach you how to live among the people. I am here with a responsibility. I am not here to play. This should be clear.”
Malema has previously said he entered politics at the age of nine and never intended to stay in it forever, hinting at his intention to retire from politics at 55.
His recent comments also contradict previous pledges that the EFF leadership would not tolerate stagnation. In a media availability in April, Malema told reporters that his leadership would be called into question if the party did not perform well in this year's elections.
But on Saturday he made clear he would remain at the helm: “Politics, health, age, I'm not going anywhere. Our mission is a generational mission. It's not something that will pop and go away like popcorn. We have staying power.”
The Red Beret leader also said his party wanted to govern in coalition with the ANC as both parties performed poorly in the elections.
“We want to work with the ANC. If there is any party with which we can work properly it is the ANC. The ANC is not arrogant when it comes to compromise. If the ANC does not have an absolute majority and we end up sharing power with them, they will never recover from the loss of power,” Malema said.
“If we have to have the next (local government) elections in the next two years, the ANC is at 40% right now and will come back at 15% for sure. After losing an election, they are not going to change their attitude. When they say the ANC has lost, you know they will keep losing forever. That's why we support them.”
