Julius Malema
As we usher in the new year, we must bare in mind that 2024 is going to be a monumental year in the political landscape in South Africa and will probably drastically impact the lives of all our people.
Despite the naysayers and instigators who have made it their mission to discredit us, the EFF will play an integral part of the government that will emerge post the provincial and national elections in May this year.
Everything about the conduct of the EFF since inception is indicative of an organisation that is ready to govern. The successful planning and execution of the 10 year celebrations prove that we have optimal capacity to organise and carry out programmes. It clearly indicates our ability to govern correctly and with results, and that is what South Africa desperately needs at the moment.
We are a meticulous organisation that is target driven and our research and conduct can always be backed by science. That is how we have managed to reach all the election targets we set in August 2023.
As of January 2024, we can confirm that all 4 368 wards in South Africa have active branch task forces. This means that there are 67 020 members who are working tirelessly to ensure that the work of the organisation is advancing at a level that is designed to render superior services to our communities.
Furthermore, all 23 296 voting districts in the country have verified and audited the EFF members who will be in charge of the election machinery at voting district level. In total, the EFF has 481 649 ground forces leading up to the upcoming elections. We are adamant that every member must be a volunteer and a ground force because every person is needed to play a role in ensuring that we usher in change in May.
Young people in particular should heed our call, join forces with us and get involved in unseating the government in favour of a progressive one led by the EFF. Through the EFF’s research and constant introspection, we have found that although we have a large youth following, young people are not registered to vote and thousands are turned away on election day because they have not registered.
We have therefore embarked on an aggressive programme to ensure that young people register to vote and that they know registration can be done online and is not limited to voter registration weekends. It is imperative to also align programmes to ensure that young people get involved and that is why, through #sizofinda ngenkani, the EFF will be assisting only learners who are registered to vote.
South Africans need to realise that the elections present an opportunity to take back their power and opt for a party that battles through the use of loftier logic and not violence. It is only the use of superior logic that will haul the country out of the darkness orchestrated by the ANC government. Despite their best efforts to dampen the effects of load shedding, the truth of the matter is the effects of it are felt by the poorest of the poor and those who are striving to create a better life for themselves.
It is only an unco-ordinated and aloof government that would subject children to load shedding during exams, thus adding to the anxiety and stress, and then turn around and offer them the December holiday free of load shedding. Businesses continue to incur escalating operational costs because they are forced to seek alternative methods during load shedding and hospitals are unable to conduct critical life-saving operations during periods of limited access to power.
But perhaps the worst of it all is how load shedding impacts small business operations and stifles economic growth, thereby contributing to the rising unemployment figure. More than 11 million South Africans are willing and able to work yet cannot be absorbed by the market. Ramaphosa has made it clear that job creation is not government’s mandate yet thousands of graduates are funded and produced by the state annually and fail to find employment.
The rate of unemployment should be considered a national security issue. The continued marginalisation of those who are unemployed entraps them into a life of social ills and crime. The spillover effects are of epic proportions as we continue to battle with crime and a police service that’s failing dismally to deal decisively with violent crime. From prominent individuals like AKA to traditional leaders and politicians being killed, perpetrators remain at large – an indication that the lives of our people are not sufficiently protected and criminals run rampage.
But as we advance into 2024, the EFF has proved, beyond reasonable doubt, that it is ready to govern. Through the inclusion of the EFF in eThekwini Municipality, infrastructure in the metro has significantly improved. Noteworthy is the fact that out of the 23 beaches, 20 were operational during the festive season, which is a remarkable achievement, given the brief period that the EFF has been actively involved.
Beaches are one of the tourism drawcards in Durban and returning them and swimming pools to functional states ensures that visitors flock into the city and enjoy themselves.
With the impending election manifesto launch on February 10, 2023, the EFF will boldly lay out a plan for what it can achieve when it governs. It will be a manifesto backed by research and practical achievements of the EFF where it governs.
Our people deserve better than the directionless leaders who are t the helm. Our people deserve a government that will not be intimidated by the minority white people who own 72% of the farm land. It will explore section 25 of the constitution which is the expropriation of land without compensation.
It is through this expropriation that unemployment will begin to decrease as people explore alternative methods of working the land and subsequently advancing up the value chain. The EFF offers South Africans tangible alternatives that are linked to being decisive when fighting crime, service delivery that involves councillors interacting and working closely with communities to solve challenges and, ultimately, the expropriation of land.
We are ready to govern and to govern differently and the people of South Africa should try us.
Julius Malema is the EFF president and commander-in-chief.
The Star