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‘Ruthless’ Malema warns EFF members against betrayal at 10-year celebration gala dinner

‘Ruthless’ Malema warns EFF members against betrayal at 10-year celebration gala dinner
Floyd Shivambu (EFF deputy president) during the EFF Gala Dinner on 27 July 2023 in Kempton Park, South Africa. The gala dinner forms part of a series of engaging and momentous historic events to mark the 10th Anniversary of the EFF. (Photo: Gallo Images/OJ Koloti)
Queenin Masuabi
By Queenin Masuabi
28 Jul 2023
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At a swanky gala dinner in Johannesburg on Thursday evening, EFF founder Julius Malema dished out praise and appreciation for tobacco tycoon Adriano Mazzotti and warnings to anyone in the party who tried to organise against him.

The EFF attracted a cross-section of guests to a gala dinner to celebrate the party’s 10-year anniversary on Thursday evening. Attendees included the likes of United Democratic Movement president Bantu Holomisa and Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, to controversial figures Former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama and Tobacco tycoon Adriano Mazzotti. 

The EFF’s birthday celebrations have not only been about the commemoration of the formation of what has become the third-largest party in the country but also about the red berets taking stock of their progress.

This has become a sore point for the party, which according to experts and polling indicates that the EFF might have reached its ceiling and could possibly see a stagnation in support come the 2024 elections. 

The party strategically hosted the event at Emperors Palace, in Ekurhuleni where they govern alongside the ANC and other smaller parties in a  coalition arrangement.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Growing pain(s): Dear EFF, after 10 years of adding fuel to the fire, it’s now time for you to grow up

The party shook politics on its first outing as a breakaway from the ANC  when it won 6.35% of the vote in the general election of 2014. It contested its first local elections in 2016, getting 8.19%.  In 2019, the Red Berets increased their support nationally, garnering 10.80% of the votes and, in the 2021 local elections, they received 10.31%. 

The EFF’s birthday celebrations included the party visiting Marikana, then hosting a fancy cocktail party where it reflected on how they have manoeuvred through the tough South African political landscape. 

The party was attended by many high profile individuals and Johannesburg socialites where party President Julius Malema delivered the keynote address. 

Malema spoke on a range of topics relating to the party as well as the state of the country.

EFF 10th anniversary Supporters of the EFF celebrate the party's 10th birthday at the Marikana Koppie where the party was launched 10 years ago. (Photo: Supplied)


Corruption and State Capture


The leader of the red berets said that the decision to shut down the Komati coal-fired power station in Mpumalanga in October 2022 was a "big error" on the part of the government. He also said that the poor shape of state-owned entities is testament to the extent of corruption and State Capture in the country. 

“If the Guptas did State Capture, they were playing. What we are experiencing today with Eskom makes Guptas look like a joke. Today, more than 300 people in communities near Grootvlei and Hendrina were promised training as part of the so-called just transition, when the Komati power station was shut down are still stranded, unemployed and without income.

“But the collapse of the economy, public finance and state-owned enterprises is just a symptom of the far broader systemic problem [called] corruption. When we formed the EFF we correctly characterised South Africa as a kleptocracy. 

“Every day we witness government leaders openly looting state resources by seeking self-enrichment without shame. While the people of Hammanskraal lack clean water the residents of Spruitview Mooiplaas live on a dumpsite. The people of Stjwetla [informal settlement] Alexander are packed together like rats, and children in the Eastern Cape continue to use pit toilets yet your state president holds an unveiling of Mandela’s statue.”   


EFF’s relationship with Mazzotti


Malema mentioned the tobacco dealer during his speech and how he had managed to assist with the registration of the EFF as a political party. He defended Mazzotti’s integrity, saying that his business dealings are above board.

“We are very proud of Adriano Mazzotti and are not ashamed to associate with him. We don’t know his business because he’s not our business partner. We don’t run an underworld, we are running an above world and don’t be scared that we are part of anything that Mazzotti does. Mazzotti has never been arrested.

“He donated money to the EFF like all of you who bought tables here. We never asked ‘What do you do for your business?’ We just declared because it was not a secret that the money was donated by Mazzotti.”

Read more in Daily Maverick: Sheriff raids Adriano Mazzotti’s home and premises to pay taxman 

Boasting about gala dinner attendance


The R1.2-million table price that attendees were asked to pay to sit with Malema at the gala dinner had tongues wagging in the buildup, with some mentioning that it was an ambitious feat. However, his table was fully booked and the leader of the red berets could not resist bragging about it.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Would you pay R1.2m to sit with EFF leader Julius Malema?

EFF EFF president Julius Malema at the party's 10th anniversary celebrations at the Marikana Koppie, 26 July, 2023 (Photo: Supplied)



“Who would buy a table to sit with Malema?’ For those who’ve got an ear and access to them, tell them Malema’s table was sold three times more than we had expected as the leadership of the EFF. 

“This has confirmed to me and to my colleagues that we’re having some brave and emerging black businesspeople who are not scared of the establishment. We’re challenging the establishment and saying no one is going to dictate to us as to how we spend our resources.”

Read more in Daily Maverick: MPs among 439 EFF members named, shamed and banned from birthday bash for failing to secure buses

Strong message to deputy Floyd Shivambu  and other EFF members


Floyd Shivambu (EFF deputy president) during the EFF Gala Dinner on 27 July 2023 in Kempton Park, South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images/OJ Koloti)



What started out as a tribute to a longstanding brotherhood between Malema and Shivambu, ended in a warning shot to any of his detractors including Shivambu. The two leaders were both booted out of the ANC which led to the formation of the EFF. 

“He [Floyd] has always shown maximum respect to me and always shared his views with me. There has never been a day where I felt Floyd and I will not see each other the following day. 

“We complement each other, we are not in competition with each other. I have made it clear to Floyd, ‘the day you get tired of me, don’t go and organise against me, just tell me, ‘I think you have served your term, it is time to go’.

“The problem starts when you organise against me and I hear it in the corners. I am very ruthless against such people who organise things against me, so never try that with me. And he knows that because I have never lost a conference in my entire life and no one I have supported has ever lost a conference. I am very ruthless to people who organise things against me.”

State of the economy


The EFF leader identified opportunities which South Africa should take to grow its ailing economy and to redress inequality.

“More than 50% of the population is considered to be living in poverty while at least 18.2 million people live in extreme poverty. Even the world bank which has often been protective of South Africa’s mismanagement of economic policy has now come out to confirm that indeed South Africa is the most unequal society in the world.

“This is a country that has the world’s largest resources of platinum, a country which is capable of producing cement and building material locally and can manufacture 80% of the country’s steel, locally mined iron ore, chrome and manganese.”

The party’s main celebration will be held on Saturday at the FNB stadium in Soweto. DM

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