South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters Party Keeps Top Leaders
South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters Party Keeps Top Leaders
South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters re-elected founder Julius Malema and deputy Floyd Shivambu to head the party at its conference in Johannesburg over the weekend.
The leadership structure of six people, which is similar to that of the ruling African National Congress, did see changes in the other four positions, according to a party Tweet. Chairman Dali Mpofu was replaced by Veronica Mente, who started her career as bodyguard to the mayor of Cape Town.
Since it was founded in 2013 by 38-year Malema, the EFF leadership structure has remained relatively stable compared with the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, whose head recently quit. The EFF targets black township residents whose standard of living has improved little since the end of apartheid, with promises to nationalize land, banks and mines across the country.
The party became the second-largest opposition force in its maiden election five years ago. Some media groups were banned from covering this weekend’s elective conference.
To contact the reporter on this story: Loni Prinsloo in Johannesburg at lprinsloo3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Rebecca Penty at rpenty@bloomberg.net, James Amott, Cecile Vannucci
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