South Africa's EFF and Emerging Trends in Africa’s Opposition Politics

By Takura Zhangazha*

South Africa’s charismatic and young opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) recently held a somewhat unique and shocking press conference.  In it, their leader Julius Malema and his deputy Floyd Shivambu appeared side by side in order to announce the resignation of the latter.  

Shivambu also in the same press conference announced that he was leaving to join a new and now third largest opposition party in the South African parliament Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).  A party that is reportedly led by former president Jacob Zuma.

Now I am not a South African citizen nor do I have any vested interests in its domestic politics save for when it comes to its foreign policy as a regional hegemon.

What is however interesting is the fact that the EFF even after the recent general elections in their country had always positioned itself as a radical, Pan Africanist and youthful party that was set sooner rather than later to political ascendancy.  

An ascendancy that even if it would have failed to defeat the African National Congress (ANC), it would surely defeat the historically white led Democratic Alliance (DA) party.  It failed to do either in the last elections.  It was also overtaken by Zuma’s MK party to become only the fourth largest party in parliament. 

Because of the somewhat continental celebrity status of not only the EFF but its leader Malema, his deputy president’s resignation sparked a number of debates on social media, especially in Southern Africa. 

 But also probably across the continent.  Moreso in Zimbabwe given his recent remarks against Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu Pf government at a lecture at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. 

Add to this the continued boldness that the EFF exhibited after a dismal electoral performance which they ironically blamed on MK voters and not their own strategic failures.  

They insisted that they were stronger than ever and would continue their struggle for land for the people of South Africa despite their electoral setbacks. 

They also refused to join the ANC in an alliance at national government level. 
From an outsiders perspective, and in all of this, they gave the impression that they were hurting but were trying to forge some sort of path to electoral recovery. 

Based on their recent press conference to announce the departure of Shivambu and supposedly others from their party, it would appear that was a lot more going on behind the scenes that I am certainly not privy to. 
But there are certain issues that appear apparent.  

And I will tackle these in three respects as an outsider.  And also because the South African cdes tend to also overdo it when it comes to Zimbabwean issues. Almost in a big brother like fashion, from xenophobia through to condescending exceptionalism attitudes to our own national politics. 

The first element of the split of the EFF, because essentially that is what it is, never mind the conspiracies, is that electoral politics cyclically matter in Southern Africa.  Especially if you have been in opposition for a long time.  With the same leadership.  

 On the face of it, the fallout within the EFF is probably a direct result of the party’s recent poor electoral performance and a hidden from the public blame game.  Until the awkward press conference. 

This is increasingly a trend within Southern Africa opposition parties where splits or a much more fervent internal factionalism emerges.  And in Zimbabwe’s case this is easily true with what is still the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change in our own parliament. 

Their election results also caused their split.  And I am sure it will be the same for opposition parties in Namibia, Botswana and any other country in SADC due for elections soon.

In this we see that waiting for elections or the electoral cycle to up the political ante in national politics is a strategy that is not working.  And at best will result in either governments of national unity, outright defeats, eventual splits and attempts at ambiguous restarts for many opposition parties. 

Mainly because there is less organisational opposition capacity until the election occurs and also because in some cases it is all about playing to an international gallery that will not be interested if their desired results do not come to reality.   

The second key point to examine is a continual trend of opposition political parties conflating age and any globally trending ideology with youthful ambition.  Almost like an attempt of many young politicians to do away with what they refer to as the ‘old’ simply based on again, their youthfulness.

 While at the same time demonstrating tremendous support for what we know to be repressive ideologies such as neoliberalism as given by what we consume on social media or are made to compare with when for example we wrongly envy the increasingly racist politics of the global north.   

Admittedly the EFF is somewhat ideologically grounded in Pan Africanist and at best social democratic ideology.  But it put forward more its youthfulness as the key to its both assumptions of longevity on the political scene as well as its traction with young voters. 

 Its principled position on being anti-xenophobic while admirable and principled also missed out on the populist nature of the South African electoral process. As well as also misunderstood the nature of the ideological forces that were against it both in relation to financialised global capital as well as domestic weaknesses of South Africa’s national consciousness. 

A national consciousness that exudes an inferiorty complex to former apartheid masters while ironically treating fellow Africans with disdain.  Remember that infamous Zuma phrase, “This is not some road in Malawi”? 

Lastly, the split of the EFF is clearly a sad development for many a Pan African activist across the continent.  Not least because a lot of young and older comrades I interact with used to be quite consciously entertained by their antics in their Parliament (pay back the money anyone?).  

There were even other parties with the same EFF name in countries such as Namibia.  As their leader Malema said in his press conference, they will remain around. The South African constitution’s proportional representation system will allow that to happen in the next election.  As it has done for other smaller and newer parties. 

But in the short term, barring seismic political events in their country and with a significant change to their national consciousness, it is least likely they will achieve power.   

The only sad development is that in times where they should have found newer approaches to their politics, they did the typical opposition move across the region as an opposition.  

They succumbed to the ephemeral and emotive politics of the electoral cycle. They split and are waiting upon the next elections to prove each other wrong. As individuals and as factions.  I hope they recover. 
*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity (takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)