LISTEN | Tough road ahead for EFF: making sense of Shivambu’s exit with Prof Susan Booysen

The EFF will find it difficulty to grow, says Prof Susan Booysen after founding member and deputy leader Floyd Shivambu turned his back on the red berets and headed to the MK Party (MKP).

Shivambu called it quits on Wednesday night and at a press briefing on Thursday read his resignation letter. 

While some suspect an ulterior political motive, others claimed Shivambu left because of a soured relationship with co-founder and leader Julius Malema. Booysen believes the EFF under Malema did not leave space for Shivambu’s leadership aspirations.

After the announcement, Malema said it was likely that other party members would also abandon the party. Booysen concurs, saying the EFF could bleed more support.

“Yesterday’s [Thursday] developments are an important setback and the EFF will find it difficult to grow in future, but I do not [wouldn’t] call it a dying party,” said Booysen, who is the author of several books on the ANC.

She does not rule out the possibility of a political master plan of left-wing parties to unite but emphasises it could not have been a primary motivation.

Booysen is a political analyst and professor at Wits University.

She also provided an analysis on the shape the MKP is taking and said the party centres on its leader Jacob Zuma.

Booysen says it remains to be seen whether the MKP will be willing to “make space for prominent non-Zulu background leaders such as Shivambu”.

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