Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has claimed that advocate Dali Mpofu wanted to dissolve the EFF and rally behind a Jacob Zuma-led MK Party.
Mpofu has revealed that he was the mastermind behind the formation of Zuma’s MKP.
According to the advocate, the initial idea was for smaller parties to disband and unite behind Zuma.
This included parties such as African Transformation Movement (ATM), United Democratic Movement (UDM), PAC, ARETA, ACP, Azapo, as well as the EFF.
This proposal was put to the table prior to the official launch of the MKP in December 2023.
In a podcast with the EFF’s national spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathis, Malema confirmed that indeed there was a plan to dissolve his party and unite with Zuma.
This was after their first meeting in 2023 where Mpofu presented this, but Malema said they firmly rejected it.
"Floyd said, 'No way, this is not going to happen,'" Malema recalled, adding that Shivambu became shocked after the meeting because Mpofu was not rejecting the idea, but in fact endorsing it.
“He was extremely shocked that Dali is not only proposing it; he had written it down and has had time to think about it,” Malema added.
Malema mentioned he could not agree to the idea of closing down the EFF.
According to Malema, Mpofu told him that this could also be discussed after the May 29 elections.
“I told him it was not going to happen. I don’t agree with that and there is no EFF that is going to close shop,” he said.
Some of the suggestions made during the meetings were that they should rally behind the EFF because it has the biggest footprint in the country, Malema mentioned.
In a one-on-one meeting, Malema asked Zuma to endorse the EFF and further discussions will follow after the elections but Zuma said it wouldn’t be appropriate for old people to vote for EFF.
Mpofu, who was the national chairperson of the EFF, told the media that after much “soul-searching,” he decided to join MKP.
He announced his departure from the red berets to MKP on Thursday, citing his belief that MKP is the way to the future.
"I believe MK is the vehicle which will achieve the much-needed black and progressive unity," he stated.
IOL Politics