By Mathias Haufiku
WINDHOEK – The South African opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has denied any links with the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF).
Reports in the local media linked the newly formed NEFF to Julius Malema’s left-leaning opposition party.
NEFF was launched on Tuesday amidst claims it has been inspired by South Africa’s EFF, founded by Julius Malema, the controversial former ANC Youth League firebrand.
It was claimed this week that Malema was at an airport in South Africa to supposedly see off his NEFF counterparts – cementing perceptions the formations are sister parties.
Speaking exclusively to New Era yesterday, EFF’s spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said NEFF was not a project of the EFF, but indicated his party is monitoring the situation closely after similar reports surfaced in the South African media.
“We are watching it closely but I can tell you that it is not our project. People in Namibia are independent, therefore you should talk to those comrades in Namibia,” he said.
Ndlozi, who is one of the EFF members of parliament, says his party’s appeal has spiralled beyond South Africa, something that the EFF leadership is pleased with.
“I hope our movement will appeal to the rest of the continent as well as the diaspora,” he said.
During NEFF’s launch at Hosea Kutako its “commander-in-chief” Epafras Mukwiilongo said party members were in South Africa for three weeks, where they met with EFF’s commander-in-chief Julius Malema and his team.
Commenting on this, Ndlozi said: “We meet a lot of people who are inspired by what we are doing, so they [NEFF] might be one of the people we met.”
Ndlozi said his party would not stop anyone who pursues EFF’s ideals because the clarion call of genuine empowerment of black people and leftists politics should be widespread.
On Tuesday, Mukwiilongo accused the Swapo-led government of passing a mining law, which promotes, protects and gives access of the country’s mineral resources to foreigners at the expense of Namibians.
Mukwiilongo, owner of the Mokasa business outlets in the north, said Namibia is rich and it can take care of itself if government can ensure industrialisation and processing of minerals in Namibia.
He also said homosexuality is foreign to Namibia.
“The country is facing a major challenge with regard to homosexual practices. Namibia is a country with respect culturally and thus our freedom was attained not to liberate homosexuality but to celebrate and enjoy peace.”
The ruling Swapo Party however retaliated and rejected accusations that it has abandoned leftist politics and is pursuing capitalism, with its secretary general Nangolo Mbumba calling the new kids on the block a hopeless bunch of disgruntled individuals who are imitating their South African counterparts, in reference to the EFF.
Mbumba said the allegations made against the ruling party were designed by NEFF to solicit much-needed cheap publicity and sympathy from the electorate.
Malema, formerly a president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) before he was expelled from the party, established the EFF last year. It is currently the third largest party in both houses of the South African parliament after it managed to garner 1,169,259 votes and 6,35 percent share of the May 2014 general elections in South Africa.
EFF has 25 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly and 7 of 90 seats in the National Council of Provinces.
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