The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has reported that former members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have formed a new political party, called the African Federal Convention (Afco).
The party reportedly had a small launch at the Sunnyside Hotel in Parktown on Wednesday.
EFF leader Julius Malema’s reaction to a tweet from SABC’s current affairs show On Point about the launch of the new party shows a complete and total lack of concern or worry over it.
He replied to the tweet with four laughter emojis and a thumbs up.
The new party is led by Babayi Vusi Mathe, who describes himself as a “co-founder of the EFF”.
When Mathe said this at the party launch, SABC reporter Abongile Dumako responded “Julius says he doesn’t know you, he just said on Twitter now”.
“Julius knows me,” Mathe claimed, before saying he could name all those within the movement he claimed to know.
These included Black First, Land First leader Andile Mngxitama (who was a member of the EFF before himself breaking away to form his new party), EFF MP Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, EFF KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial chairperson Vusi Khoza, former EFF treasurer Magdalene Moonsamy (who resigned from the party in 2016), and EFF MP Hlengiwe Hlophe.
“I know them, all of them,” he said.
A Twitter user asked Khoza if it he did indeed know Mathe.
“I know him,” Khoza confirmed.
According to him, Mathe was an interim provincial command team (PCT) member before the EFF’s first ever KZN provincial people’s assembly (PPA), which is what the party calls its elective conferences.
“He disappeared after running a scam promising people quick money,” Khoza claims, and then “relocated to Joburg”.
“The man and woman surrounding him are husband and wife” with the surname Mdlalose, he further claimed.
“We expelled as councillors of Ethekwini for stealing EFF funds.”
“This is a day that we’ve been waiting for, it is a historical day in the journey of our country as it heralds the dawn of a new beginning,” Mathe had said earlier at the launch.
“We have heard that desperate call from South Africans who are fed up with the current political order.”