The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will use its second plenum this weekend to deliberate on the position of its leader Julius Malema as unease grows within the party over the impact of his legal troubles. Dissatisfaction has intensified among supporters who are concerned that the organisation could be destabilised if leadership questions are not addressed, several senior party members said. The plenum — a strategic planning meeting of the EFF constituted by the leaders from the central, provincial and regional command teams, as well as the EFF students’ command and members of parliament and provincial legislatures — will review resolutions from the party’s third national people’s assembly and finalise priorities for the year.
It is happening as Malema awaits sentencing in April, after being convicted in a firearms trial last year, a development that has triggered internal discussions about leadership continuity, vote preparations and organisational stability before this year’s local government elections. Malema was convicted last October in the East London Magistrate’s Court on charges linked to the discharge of a firearm at the EFF’s fifth anniversary rally in Mdantsane in 2018. Video footage showed him firing a rifle into the air while addressing supporters.
The court found him guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm in a built-up area, failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent danger to people or property and reckless endangerment. Malema’s legal team had argued that the weapon was a prop firearm and that no injuries were sustained. Pre-sentencing hearings began last week but were postponed to 15 April, a wait which has increased anxiety among party supporters who fear that his incarceration would affect the party negatively.
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If Malema is handed a custodial sentence of more than 12 months without the option of a fine, he would automatically be disqualified from serving as a member of Parliament. Despite party members showing full support for the EFF commander in chief (CIC) in public, senior party leaders have said in private that his conviction has unsettled Red Beret supporters. “There is unhappiness on the ground which needs to be dealt with but the fear is that the CIC might not entertain talks of his successor while he still wants to lead the party,” an EFF leader in Gauteng said. “The danger is that those who even plan to start the conversation will be removed or even fired from the organisation because this is the CIC’s show and we all know it but it’s a necessary conversation nonetheless.”
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