EFF leader Julius Malema addresses a press conference in Johannesburg.
PHOTO: Luba Lesolle, Gallo Images
- EFF members are submitting their resignations after being instructed to give way to those who won during the provincial elections.
- The party said it wanted to align internal party leadership with deployments in government.
- Among those who have already resigned is Mamsie Mofama, Azwiambi Tshitangano, and Malesela Ledwaba.
As per instructions from the party’s top decision-making body, the Central Command Team (CCT), EFF members in Parliament and provincial legislatures are expected to resign.
The resignations are to make way for party members who won during the provincial elective conferences. Among those who have resigned is Mamsie Mofama, a member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) in Gauteng.
News24 has seen at least three letters containing Mofama’s resignation letter, addressed to the Spokesperson, Ntombi Mekgwe, and dated January 31, stating that he was resigning with immediate effect.
“I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position as a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, my last day will be today, Tuesday, January 31, 2022. I apologize for the short notice,” the letter read.
Ledwaba and Tshitangano also submitted their resignations, indicating that it was effective as of January 31.
In their letters, they copied EFF Vice President Floyd Shivambu.
News24 understands that at least six more EFF MPLs are set to step down from their posts.
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The party has 10 members in the Gauteng legislature. Yazani Tetyana, the leader of the Eastern Cape legislature, resigned last month.
Tetyana lost to Zilindile Vena the position of provincial party president. On Sunday, at a press conference, EFF leader Julius Malema announced that the CCT had, among other things, considered the need to rearrange the redistribution of public representatives to Parliament and legislatures after the provincial conferences that took place. place in 2022.
“Consequently, several deputies and members of the provincial legislatures, who occupy these positions based on the political responsibilities they had in the EFF structures, will resign with immediate effect to guarantee that there is alignment between the direction of our structures and the direction of the EFF in governance,” said Malema.
In 2019, the EFF forced MPLs to buy bakkies within three months of being sworn in, and News24 understands that some are reluctant to comply with the waiver request because they are still paying for the cars.
Bakkies are used to doing party work. The MPLs and MPs set to step down are said to have received letters from EFF General Secretary Marshall Dlamini on Friday ordering them to resign their posts with immediate effect.
According to the party constitution, the CCT has the power to remove any member of the organization from any deployment position, including deployment as public representatives.
NOTE: This story has been updated to include the names of two EFF members from the provincial legislature who have also resigned their positions.
