The EFF's biggest problem is its candidates, who are not known for community work: Malema

EFF leader Julius Malema has scolded party candidates for electing people not known for community work.  

Speaking at the EFF's 10th-anniversary media launch on Tuesday, he said the party's “biggest problem” was its candidates.

“The candidates start loving the community and the people the day they get chosen to be candidates for that ward. Therefore, they lose and lose hopelessly. 

“The EFF must ... identify from members of the community influential people who are loved by the community and contribute to the community.”

Malema said the EFF has a problem identifying people who love and are involved in their communities.

“Why can’t the EFF branch, without elections, do community work? I’ve been to a lot of townships where when it rains, the water drainage system is blocked and as a result streets are flooded. The EFF person sees that, but does not engage with any programme to resolve such a simple problem.”

The EFF will not follow the ANC in deploying unqualified people who comprise service delivery, he added.

“There's a big problem coming for the EFF. It is this story of governance [and] getting into governance. You see some ... uncontrollable interest in areas where the EFF has got potential to govern, you see leadership developing [an] uncontrollable appetite. 

“It's a new challenge that we will have to grapple with because literature teaches us that we'll have problems of sins of incumbency. So since they have not experienced being incumbent in government, it's going to be a new thing now,” said Malema.