EFF increasingly popular in KZN

EFF LEADERS were pleasantly surprised to find that their party is “quite popular” in KwaZulu-Natal, they said yesterday.

The party is on a weeklong blitz in the province as it prepares for its fourth anniversary celebrations later this week.

Senior party leaders including EFF commander-in-chief Julius Malema and party spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi have been campaigning in the province.

Party members camped out in uMlazi yesterday and interacted with motorists and community members, handing out pamphlets. They planned to visit other parts of the township and the Shisa Nyama outlets.

“I thought that the EFF would not be wanted here, but I was quite surprised to find that it is so popular in all the areas that we have visited,” said the party’s national organiser, Mgcini Tshwaku.

He said they had expected a hostile reception as there had been incidents of intimidation before, notably in ward 22, where an EFF member was killed.

The EFF “technically” does not exist in KZN, as its structures were disbanded by the national leadership and placed under administration in October last year due to infighting. The party is in the process of rebuilding some of those structures.

“The whole leadership will be in court on Tuesday attending the murder trial (of the EFF member),” he said.

Tshwaku said they had interacted with community members and found the problems affecting townships like uMlazi, Clermont and others were the same.

“There has been no development… these townships are not developing at all. I was here in uMlazi in 2004 and coming back I find that it’s exactly the same, nothing has changed.

“There has been no development, it is the same in the other townships that we have visited,” he added.