EFF is ‘impractical’ and ‘lacks substance’: IRR report

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) non-negotiable seven economic pillars have been criticised by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) for relying too much on populist measure and impractical policies.

The report was released on Tuesday, after the EFF’s election manifesto launch over the weekend, the Mail and Guardian reported.

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EFF’S ECONOMIC FREEDOM RELIES HEAVILY ON POPULIST MEASURES, SAYS REPORT

Ivo Vegter, a researcher and columnist for the IRR’s online newspaper, argues that the party’s approach to economic freedom relied heavily on populist measures and impractical policies rather than “grounded principles of economic theory and empirical evidence.” 

During a webinar for the launch of the report on Tuesday, Vegter also said that although the EFF was often characterised as “one dimensional”, it was not superficial. Some of the party’s grievances were legitimate, he said.

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‘NATIONALISATION AND LAND EXPROPRIATION UNDERMINE ECONOMIC COMPLEXITIES’

During the webinar, Vegter said the party’s stance on land expropriation violated private property rights. “That it will do this without compensation is problematic. Land that has been legally acquired by purchase or inheritance is private property. To deprive people of that property is morally wrong.” 

He said the EFF’s emphasis on the nationalisation of key industries, land expropriation without compensation, and a blanket increase in social welfare spending overlooked the complexities of economic dynamics, which could potentially lead to detrimental consequences for the country.

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EFF MANIFESTO REASSERTED THE PARTY’S CORE MESSAGE, SAYS REPORT

Political analyst Ongama Mtimka has previously said that the EFF has ascended to become the nation’s third-largest political party by assuming the mantle traditionally held by the ANC. 

On Tuesday, Mtimka said the EFF’s manifesto speech reasserted the party’s core message found in its founding manifesto of 2013 and 2019, showing growth and confidence in the party’s electoral position.