EFF wants to topple Trollip to demonstrate its ‘seriousness’ about land expropriation

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema says the party’s motion of no confidence in Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip is to demonstrate its seriousness on the question of land expropriation.

Malema was speaking at a rally at New Brighton in Nelson Mandela Bay on Wednesday – a day before the red berets push for a motion of no confidence in DA mayor Trollip.

“So why Trollip? - Trollip is a national chairperson of the DA. He was chairing a meeting that took a decision that said 'we are not going to support the land'. He must know there are consequences for that‚” Malema said.

Malema said “my children‚ our children” were going to ask what did the EFF do when the DA voted against land expropriation.

“My answer cannot be ‘we continued to vote for them’‚” Malema said.

Malema said the EFF could not befriend Trollip if he was not firm on the land question.

“If we punish them in Nelson Mandela (Bay) in order to get the message to them‚ let it be done. For the land everything else can be done. For as long as the matter of the land is restored firmly on the table‚” Malema said.

Malema explained that the EFF had promised its voters before the 2014 and 2016 elections that they would push for improvements in a number of areas such as a minimum wage‚ increases in social grants‚ free education and decent housing.

“When you read all of these manifestos of the EFF‚ there is nowhere where we said we will vote for the ANC. You never voted for us because in turn we will vote for the ANC. We never said that. We never said ‘vote for us we will vote for DA’.”

Malema questioned people who voted for the EFF on why they became angry and irritated when the party engaged in the tactics of “moving tables and playing chess” in order to deliver these things the party promised them.

“That is us now trying to achieve one city‚ trying to achieve a minimum wage for you‚ trying to achieve the land for you‚ trying to achieve free education for you. We are navigating through this thing in order to achieve the things we promised to you.”

He said there was no formula on how the EFF would achieve these goals.

“You ought to know the game … as long as you remain true to expropriation of land without compensation. We are trying to find a way in order to give you the land."

The DA and its coalition partners were confident that they would survive a bid to dismantle the entire political leadership structure in Nelson Mandela Bay at a council meeting on Thursday‚ reported The Herald.

“The reasons Malema put for removing me were undemocratic‚” Trollip told supporters at a rally on Wednesday at a rally in front of the Port Elizabeth City Hall.

"Like a spoilt child when he didn't get his way in parliament with his mad motion that would cripple the economy‚ Malema said he would remove me based on my skin colour‚” Trollip said.