The party is not going to be obsessed with an individual who decided to leave the organisation, EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said.
Dunga was responding to a question about the EFF’s former deputy president Floyd Shivambu’s departure from the party.
He said this at the Gauteng Provincial Ground Forces Forum, addressed by the EFF’s leader, Julius Malema.
“As you can see the show goes on, we have internalised and processed the resignation of the former deputy president.
“We are at the point where we are in preparation of the National People’s Assembly (NPA) which is coming in December, and we are here for that.
“We are also here to assess the state of readiness for branches to also analyse and get the perspective from the commander-in-chief in terms of where to from here,” Dunga explained.
He said the forum was not intended on deliberating on individuals who either joined or leave the EFF.
“In Gauteng, we have in excess of over 200 000 members in good standing, who are part of the branches. Their leaders are here representing them. We will not still be in a grieving or mourning period over a specific individual who decided to leave the movement.”
Dunga said allegations that Shivambu left the EFF because Malema’s dictatorial stance was just a rumour, which didn’t have merit.
While addressing the ground forces in Soweto on Monday, Malema said he will dismantle everything that was formed by Shivambu, referring to the government task unit (GTU) that was established by him.
“Everything else that looks like the former deputy president shall be dismantled in the EFF and got rid off with immediate effect.
“The GTU and all those who served in it under the deputy president are dissolved. You want to deploy anyone into government on behalf of the EFF, you shall report to the office of the president,” a visible angry Malema said.
The Red Berets leader said it was high time he took charge of the organisation, saying he entrusted it in the hands of the wrong people.
“We have been betrayed for too long, we have been sold out for too long, we have been trusting for too long, we need to take it into our hands and run it ourselves.”
Notably, Malema has seen to be going against the plea Shivambu made in his resignation letter, cautioning party leaders and members from character assassination and name calling.
In his letter, the former deputy president said he would not do or say anything that compromised the integrity of an organisation he founded.
“My sincere plea is that on reflection of the decision I have taken, the organisation should also avoid slander and mischaracterisation of an otherwise revolutionary and disciplined decision to not renew my membership and request to be released from other functions I am deployed to,” Shivambu said.
“I am available to talk about the details of how we should collectively communicate the decision publicly, so that it does not affect the integrity of the organisation.
“We have over the years played an important rote in shaping the politics of South Africa, and the continent. We have all played our parts progressively and I have no doubt that we will continue to do so,” Shivambu said.
Shivambu has served as Malema’s deputy president since the EFF’s inception in 2013.
The Star