Malema says EFF could join GNU if DA and FF Plus withdraw

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said his party would be willing to join the government of national unity (GNU) if the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus withdrew, but would not compromise its political principles to enter government.

“We are not opposed to participating in GNU. If Helen walks tomorrow, and that other one of Correctional Services, the Freedom Front walk, we’ll go inside,” Malema said during a door-to-door election campaign in Naledi, Soweto, on Sunday.

“We don’t play with power. We get it. We use it to benefit the black masses of our people,” he said.

Political parties have intensified campaigning ahead of the 4 November local government elections, with coalition arrangements expected to play a central role in determining who governs Johannesburg.

Malema’s remarks followed comments by DA mayoral candidate for the city, Helen Zille, opposing a municipal coalition with the EFF.

He accused Zille of hostility towards the EFF, saying that the party could not be controlled by white political interests.

Malema also rejected claims that the EFF was unsuitable for coalition government because of its political conduct, saying that the ANC had faced its own governance and accountability controversies.

“The ANC is the most chaotic party,” Malema said.

Malema also criticised the ANC’s difficulties in registering candidates for the municipal elections, which resulted in Constitutional Court proceedings, which ultimately ruled in favour of the ANC.

“We had to go to Constitutional Court to do administrative work of registering candidates. It’s administrative work. It doesn’t need court. It needs efficiency,” he said.

Despite outlining circumstances under which the EFF could participate in coalition government, Malema insisted that the party’s immediate priority was securing an outright electoral victory.

“We go to elections to win. All I know is that we’re going to win. And after we win, we’re going to deliver services to our people,” he said.

Malema questioned how political leaders could honour liberation struggle figures such as Chris Hani and Solomon Mahlangu while governing alongside parties he accused of representing interests opposed to the struggle.

Malema was accompanied during the Soweto campaign by the EFF’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, who outlined the party’s plans to address unemployment, crime and municipal service-delivery failures.

Residents raised concerns about unemployment and deteriorating public safety, with some saying they were afraid to walk through their neighbourhoods.

Mofokeng said an EFF-led administration would prioritise women-led businesses, young people, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs when awarding municipal procurement opportunities.

She also proposed that the municipality directly employ young people who had successfully completed learnerships, internships and apprenticeships.

“The internships, apprenticeships, all those things, when you qualify, the city must employ you directly,” Mofokeng said.

She said that increasing municipal employment would strengthen the city’s capacity to respond to water outages, electricity interruptions and other service-delivery problems.

The EFF also pledged to address Johannesburg’s water meter problems and invest in affordable, reliable public transport.

On public safety, Malema said the municipality could improve crime prevention by strengthening the visibility and effectiveness of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).

“We have no power over the police but we have power over the JMPD and we’re going to be telling them that they have to have regular rounds to ensure that if there’s a problem, people don’t have to travel long distance and by that they could bump into a JMPD parking and be able to engage them and get assistance from that level,” he said.

“That’s how far we can take it “

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