While the EFF says dissolving regional structures for failing to elect new leaders by the end of May had to be done, political analysts believe the move points to a party centrally controlled.
Julius Malema and his central command team (CCT) dissolved all EFF regional structures this week after they failed to meet the 90% threshold to go to elective conferences.
EFF regional structures were given until May 30 to ensure at least 90% of branches were in good standing.
All eight EFF regional structures in the Eastern Cape and other parts of SA will be replaced by interim structures which will manage the party’s day-to-day affairs until 90% of EFF branches are eligible for elective conferences.
EFF national spokesperson Vuyani Pambo said the party would not lower its standards from the 90% threshold.
Party structures were given until May 30 to meet the requirements for conferences, but this has been extended to June 30.
Should they fail to meet the June deadline, the EFF will likely go to the much-anticipated October 27 municipal elections with task teams.
Pambo said they still had faith branches would be launched.
“The CCT has the prerogative to either dissolve or put structures under administration,” he said.
“Replacing the dissolved structures is an ongoing progress but the relevant structures have already started the process.
“We are building an organisation and this shows that the EFF doesn’t accept anything poor because structures were given a deadline and they failed to meet it. We are rebuilding the organisation here.”
But political analysts said having appointed leaders gave national bosses more control of who would be in charge.
Prof Mcebisi Ndletyana said the EFF had set high standards for its branches.
“I’m not sure how realistic these standards are,” he said. “It’s not a bad thing to expect your regional leaders to be hard-working and to be hands-on to ensure your branches are fully functional.
“However, it does seem like it’s a little bit unrealistic.”
Malema has, in the past, been accused of ruling with an iron fist and Ndletyana said the decision to dissolve structures pointed to a party centrally controlled.
“The ease in which they are willing to just disband suggests a very strong disposition to national control. It displays a preference to control, for national to have a strong hand in the composition [of interim structures].
“They don’t mind at all influencing the composition of these structures. In fact, their preference would have been to do that rather than have people whom they don’t approve of becoming leaders.
“It’s a very centrally controlled party, realistically speaking. It’s a one-man show so the democratic rituals are just a charade but ultimately what the leader does not want does not happen,” Ndletyana said.
Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast agreed.
“It is a militaristic organisation with a top-down approach,” he said
But insiders said dissolving the structures had to be done.
“Disbanding our structures during an election year is not ideal but deadlines are deadlines and if we don’t respect them, that means when we are in government one day we will not act when people miss deadlines on implementing things,” they said.
A regional leader added: “We failed to meet the deadlines, therefore we have been dissolved, it’s as simple as that.”
Addressing the media on Thursday, Malema said they would release a list of all suspended party members on June 24.
He also announced that anyone who had defected to another party would not be welcomed back.
“EFF is not a Holiday Inn, where you check in and check out.
“There is no check in and check out here. If you check in, you check in forever. If you check out, you must go forever.” — Additional reporting by Unathi Nkanjeni
HeraldLIVE
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