Political novice to lead EFF

They come from different political parties but these campaign managers have one thing in common – they are all after your vote. Reporters THULANI GQIRANA and MKHULULI NDAMASE take a closer look at the people who are likely to come knocking on your doorstep.

WITH zero political leadership experience, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial secretary Dingezweni Peter has been entrusted with spreading the party’s election campaign message in the Eastern Cape.

Peter, 34, who sees himself more as a humanitarian than a politician, has promised to paint the province red with posters and the trademark berets of Julius Malema’s party.

With ambitious hopes of toppling the ANC from government, Peter has been placed at the centre of the EFF’s campaign as the party plans to criss-cross the province convincing the poor to place their X next to Malema’s face on May 7.

Although he did not want to speak about his job or personal life, saying he was “experiencing problems at work”, it was established that he works for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as a minutes-taker in the cooperate services department. Peter confessed to being a newcomer in politics. “I have never been involved in politics but I have been a staunch supporter of the ANC all my life. I joined the EFF because it talks directly to me and I don’t deem myself as a politician but a humanitarian.

“Political experience is not more important than the will to do things. Our people won’t eat experience. The very same experience has destroyed this country. If experience was that much better, this country would be different. I joined the party to stabilise the country. We need patriotic people and humanitarians,” he said.

The King William’s Town-born Peter said the EFF was specifically targeting the 18- to 40-year-old age group, as they were mostly affected by unemployment and poverty.

“Those are the people who are suffering but are the future of tomorrow. They must rise up and claim their dreams. Those are the people who have the power to change the wheels of steel that are currently grinding us.”

High on the party’s to-do list is changing the face of townships through urban renewal programmes, which Peter believes would stop people from migrating to suburbs.

The party has been widely criticised for its bold stance of wanting to nationalise mines and banks, with critics claiming that would drive investors away.

But Peter disagreed, saying investors would instead be begging for the 40% of minerals the party would make available to them if voted into power. “You can’t make promises if you don’t own the Reserve Bank, you don’t own the land and you don’t even own the country. – Mkhululi Ndamase