Johannesburg - There have been mixed feelings on social media following an announcement made by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) that at least 412 public representatives and councillors, including four MPs, would not be attending this weekend’s 10-year celebrations at Soccer City Stadium.
This is because of their failure to arrange transport for ordinary members to attend the big event on Saturday.
The party issued a statement on Wednesday for the reasons for barring these party officials from attending the event.
The party said the 428 councillors, members of Parliament, and members of the provincial legislatures would be banned from attending the EFF’s 10th-anniversary celebrations at the FNB Stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg, this weekend.
The party said early this year, during their plenum and first command team (CCT) meeting, they gave all its public representative officials a directive to arrange transport for their constituencies to attend the 10th-anniversary celebrations set for this weekend.
Among the high-ranking officials who have been named and shamed for having failed to provide transport for constituents, the most senior EFF public representative who failed to provide transport to their constituents is former EFF KZN chairperson Vusi Khoza, who is an MP, and Phiwaba Madokwe, who holds the party internal rank of ‘commissar’ and who was a former secretary general of the EFF Student’s Command.
It is also reported that two other MPs from the National Council of Provinces, Slindile Luthuli and Brenda Mathevula, seven MPLs from the various provinces, and a total of 417 councillors from five provinces failed to provide transport for red beret supporters.
‘’The directive was given to ensure that public representatives bring those that they claim to represent to the celebrations of the EFF and to ensure that the people of South Africa from across South Africa are part of the historic occasion,’’ the party said in a statement.
The party said the initial deadline for transport submissions was May 31, which was later extended to June 30.
‘’This means that all public representatives had six months to organise transport for their constituencies, with a one-month extension granted’’.
‘’All of those whose names appear on the respective lists are banned from attending the 10th-anniversary rally of the EFF.’’
The party said it would continue to punish those who fail to heed the command. However, it is still not clear what other repercussions these officials will face in the near future.
The Star