Party gets babysitter for JuJu

via Party gets babysitter for JuJu – Times LIVE by Denise Williams

Image by: Moeletsi Mabe

Julius Malema has been assigned a babysitter to ensure he does not bring his latest party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, into disrepute.

Western Cape co-ordinator Gcobani Ndzongana said the newly launched party had commissar “Dad” Mpho Ramakatsa, a former Umkhonto Wesizwe and ANC member, to keep the militant party in check.

“He is a kind of father to us. Anyone who is going to do something on their own, he will call that person to order, including commander in chief [Malema],” he said.

Ndzongana said Malema was the soul and driving spirit behind the party, but that it could survive without him.

“He was not a part and parcel of that initiative. His influence was about his leadership. He was unaware that there [were] people working tirelessly for him,” he said.

Malema confiscated fake EFF berets in Johannesburg last week during a raid.

“There are other leaders but we said currently this is the right leader for today. It’s not about him … We know that even before elections they can take him to prison, so we planned around that,” he said.

Elaborating on this, Ndzongana said the Western Cape EFF branch was adamant that the DA would not win the next election.

“To be honest, we don’t take the ANC seriously … in fact, the ANC is not the biggest threat to us. We are focusing on the DA.

“We don’t even want to be a strong opposition … we want to take over the Western Cape next year. And we can see … the response from the people,” he said.

The party claims to have more than 6000 members in the province and aims to garner 10000 by the end of the year.

“The formation of the EFF is like a magnet: you throw it inside a lot of particles of iron and they just go in one and assemble to each other, that is what has been happening.

“People are just coming in numbers and saying enough is just enough; you know we are sick and tired,” said Ndzongana.

But the public should not fear a violent takeover, he said.

“People cannot believe the lies … we know the swart gevaar smear campaign. We know people will do anything to belittle our campaign.

“You must not believe it tomorrow when you wake up and hear it from the news that we are going to eat white people, that is never going to happen. We are not going to do that,” Ndzongana said.