Long queues stretched along Pama Road on Saturday morning as thousands of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters gathered for the party’s 12th anniversary celebrations at the Khayelitsha Rugby Stadium.
Although the main programme was scheduled to start at midday, enthusiastic crowds, youth, elders, and children, had already begun pouring into the venue from the early hours.
A dedicated play area for children, complete with jumping castles, plastic tables and chairs, and paramedics on standby, was set up to accommodate families.
Outside the stadium, community member Bathandwa Dywili said she hoped party leader Julius Malema would address pressing social challenges.
“We hope that the EFF president will address youth unemployment. Underaged drinking is another issue, young people consume a lot of alcohol,” Dywili said.
“It would also be nice for him to address other social ills that are holding us back and lead to crime.”
Some attendees had travelled long distances, not only to show support for the Red Berets but also to make a living.
Banele Sindane, who journeyed from Johannesburg, was selling EFF-branded merchandise outside the venue.
“I came to Cape Town to sell branded EFF merchandise. I need to earn money for my children,” said Sindane.
“I arrived in town in the early hours of Saturday morning. I didn’t just come to sell clothes, I am here as an EFF member too. It is such an honour to be at the celebrations.”
By 9:30 am, performers were already on stage inside the massive dome, which has a capacity of 10,000 people.
The EFF was founded on July 26, 2013, by Julius Malema, following his expulsion from the African National Congress (ANC) where he had served as the president of the ANC Youth League.
After clashing with senior ANC leaders and being disciplined for sowing division and bringing the party into disrepute, Malema launched the EFF as a radical and militant economic emancipation movement.
Drawing inspiration from pan-Africanist and Marxist-Leninist traditions, the EFF quickly established itself as a vocal force in South African politics, especially among disillusioned youth and working-class communities.
The party entered Parliament for the first time in 2014, securing 25 seats, and has since become the country’s third-largest political party.
Twelve years later, the EFF’s red regalia, revolutionary slogans, and combative parliamentary style remain a fixture of South African political life, and Saturday’s gathering in Khayelitsha reflected the energy and loyalty that still surrounds the movement.
