Exodus of EFF MPs

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has brushed off a study raising the alarming rate at which the party’s members of parliament have either resigned or been expelled or replaced.

The study was conducted by former DA spokesperson and the Institute of Race Relations’ (IRR’s) current head of politics and governance, Gareth van Onselen. In the report, Van Onselen finds that 61% of all EFF national members of parliament have resigned or been expelled since the 2014 election, which surpassed “by some considerable distance” that of the other major parties.

“Between the two Houses (NA and NCOP), [in] the full EFF caucus, which comprises a combined 31 members, there have been 19 resignations and expulsions (61%) and a total of 24 changes all inclusive,” the study says.

The report, ironically titled “The EFF’s Internal Revolution”, uses this statistic to argue that this fact counts among signs of turmoil within the party.

Van Onselen also adds to this argument, using tabulated accounts of changes within the parliamentary caucus: “The telling categories are resignations and expulsions. From these, one is able to discern more about the political stability of any national party caucus. And it is on this front that the EFF is, by some considerable distance, the most tumultuous of all the major parties.”

EFF general secretary Godrich Gardee dismissed the report, calling it “made by some people making ridiculous allegations”. He challenged the accuracy of the studies and figures.