EFF leader visits E Cape to boost membership
MEMBERSHIP of the infant political party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, is growing at “a rapid rate” in the Eastern Cape, the party’s deputy president Floyd Shivambu said over the weekend.
Shivambu, the party’s member of parliament, was speaking exclusively to the Daily Dispatch on Saturday on the sidelines of his visit to the EFF’s branches in Buffalo City Metro (BCM).
During his four-day visit to the Eastern Cape, the firebrand EFF leader crisscrossed the province “assessing the strength and stability” of the branches.
On Friday, Shivambu visited EFF branches in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) and Cacadu, and also conducted a members’ assembly in Grahamstown.
On Saturday, he headed for Buffalo City, where he addressed jovial party members at Gonubie’s Mzamomhle township, who had waited in song for hours until his arrival at the Lathitha community hall just after 2pm.
Also on Saturday, Shivambu visited members region.
Yesterday, Shivambu hosted closed meetings with party members in the Alfred Nzo and O R Tambo districts.
Today he rounds off his tour with visits to EFF branches in the Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi regions.
His sojourn is part a of programme that the party has dubbed “the year of the branch”, in which its leaders visit branches in a bid to increase membership from the in the Amathole ground up. “We came here to listen and take reports in terms of the branches that are ready for branch people’s assemblies,” Shivambu said.
“This is because we are preparing for the BCM regional people’s assembly here soon. Those are basically our regional conferences.
“Afterwards, we will have a provincial conference to elect the new leadership of the EFF here in the Eastern Cape,” Shivambu said.
So far, the EFF has raised 340 branches in the Eastern Cape which are in good standing.
“Every second week we come and check reports about the progress with establishing branches in the province.
“By the time we go to the provincial assembly conference in September, we surely will have more than 700 branches in good standing,” Shivambu said.
“We had close to 100 000 votes in the local government elections last year and we now have 78 EFF councillors in the Eastern Cape, so it is a very important province in the life of the EFF.
“It is the one that we are investing in to give us huge numbers in 2019 moving forward.
“We are building a strong organisation so that we are able to prepare for the upcoming general elections.”
Shivambu said the provincial conference would be held before the end of September.
“Our target is to have quality branches, branches in good standing in all the wards here in the Eastern Cape,” said Shivambu.
“The Eastern Cape has 705 wards so we want to have branches in good standing, with paid-up members and elected leadership and delegates, branch command teams and people who know what the EFF is all about.
“This is so when we go to the provincial conference they are informed and have a clearer perspective in terms of electing provincial leadership.”
He said the target was to hold BCM’s general assembly before the end of next month.
“Possibly the last weekend of July we will have the regional people’s assembly here in BCM.
“This is because BCM, NMBM, O R Tambo and Chris Hani are far ahead of the other regions in terms of preparations.
“We are being held back by Cacadu, which I’ve told to catch up.”