Ex-EFF leader rejoins the ANC
FORMER EFF Limpopo chairperson Jossey Buthane has finally come out of his bubble, announcing on Sunday that he has re-joined the ANC after weeks of speculation.
Buthane, who has been in the political wilderness since 2021, left the Red Berets after a fallout with its president, his friend Julius Malema.
A wedge was placed between the two once-close allies and “homeboys” after the party’s poor results following the 2021 local government elections, forcing Malema and his executive to disband the Limpopo provincial command team (PCT), led by Buthane.
With the party being the official opposition in the province, which has always been the party’s stronghold, it was a massive concern to Malema and his executive to lose about 25 council seats following those elections.
This meant the blame came down solely on Buthane, who was leading the province then. Malema at the time had said the decision to disband the EFF’s PCT was taken by the party’s highest decision-making structure, the central command team.
But Buthane saw it as a betrayal by his long-time ally and broke ranks to form the Workers Emancipation Trade Union last year.
The two started trading insults, forcing a bigger wedge between them, until he announced he had left the EFF.
During the ANC’s annual Solomon Mahlangu memorial lecture on Sunday, which Buthane used to announce the news, he also he had come with 190 former EFF members.
If his assertions are true, it would be a huge blow to the EFF.
ANC provincial secretary, Reuben Madadzhe, confirmed that Buthane had joined the governing party.
“The ANC in Limpopo is pleased to announce that Jossey Buthane, former Limpopo provincial leader of the EFF, has rejoined the ANC, together with 190 former EFF members,” he said.
Speaking at the lecture, Buthane said he did not want to mention any organisation (the EFF), but knew their hearts were bleeding because he had brought in scores of former EFF members, launching “programme Khumbul eKhaya” (“remembering home”).
“Their hearts are bleeding wherever they are. I can commit to you now that I’m going to lead a programme called Khumbul eKhaya,” Buthane boasted.
He promised that in Sekhukhune, the party would be welcoming more former EFF members who were PR councillors. Last week, Independent Media contacted the EFF about the possibility of Buthane leaving the party because of the conflict with Malema, but EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the party was focused on elections and nothing else.