Malema on teaming up with the ANC in Ekurhuleni: ‘We will not vote for them because I am friends with Masina’

EFF leader Julius Malema says his friendship with Ekurhuleni ANC chairperson Mzwandile Masina will not play a part in whether his party teams up with the ANC in Ekurhuleni.

Malema was speaking at the third EFF Western Cape Provincial Peoples’ Assembly at the weekend. 

His statement comes after the ANC in Ekurhuleni tabled a motion of no confidence against mayor Tania Campbell over service delivery and accused her of neglecting township areas.

Malema admitted he is friends with Masina, but said it would not be a factor in whether his party would vote with the ANC in the motion of no confidence vote.

“There are a lot of people in the ANC who are my friends and who have never supported me. Socially, we got along very well but politically we always knew where we stand. There was never confusion about that.

“Mzwandile Masina is a friend of mine, but [if] the EFF doesn’t want to vote for the ANC in Ekurhuleni, it will never happen. We will not vote for the ANC because the commander in chief and Mzwandile are friends. We're not going to use those tools of analysis to determine how we vote in Ekurhuleni,” said Malema.

He said, among other things, the EFF looks at what is in the best interest of the party, what its strategic objective is and which tactics it uses to arrive at its strategic objective. 

“Does voting for Mzwandile Masina put the EFF in a better position to advance its strategic objective? If the answer is no, it doesn't matter. It will not happen. But tomorrow, after not voting for him, you will find us together,” he said. 

EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said the party had not been engaged by any organisation regarding the motion of no confidence.

“We are an organisation guided by specific non-negotiable principles, among and at the core being the expropriation of land without compensation to allow the allocation of land for housing and business from local government level, building of internal state capacity to insource workers and abolish tenders, provision of free sanitation and housing and massive protected industrial development which entails the establishment of local-based industrial businesses to provide jobs for residents and bring in economic activities within the municipality,” Dunga said.

He said in Ekurhuleni, black communities remained neglected by the DA-led administration.

“The EFF in Gauteng can never be caught in wrestling matches for positions while our people continue to be pushed to the side and neglected by both DA and ANC-led governments,” Dunga said.

ANC Ekurhuleni spokesperson Lesiba Mpya said the party had submitted the motion last week before the next council sitting, in line with council procedures. 

The motion is scheduled to be tabled during a council meeting on October 26.

“There are continuous meetings between the party’s provincial and regional leadership [regarding the matter]. Who becomes the next mayor is a competency of the provincial leadership,” Mpya said.

Campbell’s spokesperson Warren Gwilt said the mayor was aware of the no-confidence motion being delivered to the speaker’s office.

“We recognise this motion needs to serve in the programming committee ahead of council on October 26 2022 and we will not comment until the committee has resolved on the motion.

“In the meantime, we remain steadfast in our commitment to serve all the residents of the City of Ekurhuleni,” said Gwilt.

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