Amanda Khumalo
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has allegedly turned down MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s request for an emergency meeting to solve a crisis bedeviling his party.
Sources within the MDC-Alliance have indicated that Malema is turning down Chamisa’s request for a meeting citing that the two opposition political parties had different ideologies, and that he (Chamisa) is a puppet of the West (white man’s project) used to push for regime change. Instead the source revealed that Malema is planning on meeting President Mnangagwa to seek some advise on how to solve some internal issues in his party.
In spite of Malema being an opposition leader, he is absolutely against illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, which the MDC invited and he is aware of the effects of sanctions on the economy of Zimbabwe. Sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe were a punitive action for embarking on the Fast Track Land Reform Programme.
EEF’s ideology on the other hand is closer to that of Zanu-PF fighting for black empowerment. The EFF’s is pushing South Africans to benefit from their own natural resources such as land and minerals, just like what Zimbabwe did. Both Zanu-PF and EFF believe that land ownership is the backbone to economic prosperity.
Chamisa has also been accused of mimicking EFF and Malema’s trademark dress code. On several occasions the MDC-Alliance have used images of EFF rallies on social media claiming it was their gatherings.
In 2019, Malema castigated Chamisa for rejecting the 2018 electoral outcome even before the elections were held. He argued that being able to pull huge crowds at rallies does not mean that one has won an election. Malema said if that was the case, there was no need to hold elections as rallies would be used to determine the winner.
Chamisa wants to court every opposition in the region with a view to securing support, in the likely event that they contest the 2023 election outcome, which they are likely to do as predictions are pointing to a ZANU-PF win.
