EFF holds 'Tshela Thupa' rally in Limpopo

The EFF has set out to paint Polokwane red, hosting its 'Tshela Thupa' rally at the Peter Mokaba stadium on Saturday.

EFF treasurer-general Omphile Maotwe said the rally would be the party's last effort to bolster support ahead of Wednesday's general elections.

She said the red berets have been tactical in their campaign strategy and are proud to have reached this final phase of their campaign.

“We approached our campaign in stages, having started with the launch Mayihlome phase to set up structures which saw elected teams being converted to election task forces.

“We started by putting together a central elections task force, which was converted from the central command task force. Subsequently, the provincial command teams were converted into provincial election task forces which trickled down into regional election task forces and branch election task forces.”

The party leader said the EFF put structures in place to prepare for the campaign. 

“We did that at the beginning to organise ourselves so that when we go to the ground we know we've got warm bodies, men and women who are ready to take to war.”

The party then criss-crossed the country, canvassing the views of South Africans and informing them what it could offer.

“The 'Mamela' phase included listening to our people, finding out what challenges our people are facing on a day-to-day basis. We did not want to craft a manifesto from the comfort of our boardrooms. We wanted a manifesto that speaks to our people and to the challenges they are experiencing. 

“We successfully launched that manifesto at the Moses Mabhida stadium in eThekwini in February.”

The party last hosted a rally in party leader Julius Malema's home province in 2016 when it hosted a “Tshela Thupa” rally after the local government elections.

“The last time we were here coincided with the third anniversary of the EFF, where we took the first battalion of our members into councils. Today we are closing our campaign here, reconnecting with our people, encouraging them to vote for the EFF.”

EFF supporter Gerald Masedi said he is proud of his party's efforts and his presence at the stadium is to show support for his “commander-in-chief” who is going to liberate the country.

“I have chosen the EFF because from all the political parties, this is our hope. So many people feel failed by political parties yet they keep voting for them. We just have to give the EFF a chance and see how they can take us forward.

The 31-year-old said his plea was for the red berets to “champion the fight” against unemployment and poverty. 

Party leader Julius Malema is expected to address the red sea of supporters trickling into the stadium in his final attempt to woo the electorate.

Maotwe says she is confident the party will be able to sway support in its favour with a message of hope.

“He is going to give a message of hope to our people to say, 'it is not yet uhuru' but not all is lost. They must give their trust and hope in the EFF by voting for us so that we can usher in economic freedom in our lifetime, bring back the land, end unemployment and end load-shedding.”

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