'A democratic outcome': Malema on Naledi Chirwa being last on EFF's parliament list

EFF leader Julius Malema says MP Naledi Chirwa's significant drop on the party's parliament list was the democratic outcome of a selection of national candidates by the party's leadership.

Chirwa was listed last on the EFF's national candidates list at No. 200. In 2019 she held the 30th spot and became one of the youngest MPs. Her fall from grace in the party comes after she made a public apology for not attending the budget speech and impeachment vote of Western Cape judge president John Hlophe in parliament.

Her apology caused a stir as she said she had not been absent without substantial reason, stating she had to take care of her infant baby who was sick on the day.

Speaking to JJ Tabane on the Frank Dialogue podcast, Malema said the national candidates list was compiled by the EFF leadership shortly after the party launched its election manifesto in Durban.

“There are 100 women on the list, someone must be 200. Who should be number 200 and who shouldn't be? Why do you want to undermine democratic outcomes out of a manufactured crisis that is non-existent? Naledi will never walk the streets. She's got a huge potential. We are bringing her up, we are grooming her. Those are the people who are going to lead us,” he said.

Malema said assumptions the EFF leadership was fighting with Chirwa after her letter caused a stir for the party were not true.

“We cannot say we want to destroy a person and still have them on the list. You know some of us when we fight, we fight you to the grave. If I was fighting her, she was not going to be on the list. I would have made an argument to the leadership of the EFF to [keep her off the list].”

Newcomers Carl Niehaus, Busiswe Mkhwebane and Mzwandile Manyi holding top spots on the list came as a surprise. Niehaus is in 27th spot, Mkhwebane in 40th and Manyi in 41st position.

“Carl Niehaus, Mzwanele Manyi and Busisiwe Mkhwebane were too high on the list and that shocked me. We had never intervened for those people, never. The EFF believes that there must be an element of professionalism. There must be people who are professionals, who have run some of the institutions before. Mzwanele has his own experience and Carl Niehaus was Nelson Mandela's spokesperson.

“He was only accused of having lied about his mother passing away and collecting money from people. A mistake he has accepted and since apologised [for]. Why do you still want to kill him?” Malema said.

Malema said there was no policy prohibiting party newcomers from being MPs. He, however, said the newcomers would not contest for EFF leadership positions in December as they “do not qualify”.

“For parliament you can join today and go there tomorrow. For the EFF structures you cannot. Mzanele, Busisiwe and Carl they do not qualify to stand. What is important to us is to safeguard the organisation and be led by people we know have been in the trenches with us for a particular period. Once we secure the EFF, we know there is nothing we can't secure.”

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