EFF aims to desegregate Orania by constructing RDP houses

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema states that if his party comes to power, they will desegregate Orania by constructing RDP houses.

Malema said this as the EFF celebrated 11 years since its formation in Northern Cape on Saturday, 27 July.

EFF WANTS TO BUILD RDP HOUSES IN ORANIA

Thousands of EFF supporters gathered at the AR Abass sports ground in Kimberly, Northern Cape to celebrate the party’s birthday.

Malema delivered the key address. He emphasised that once the party takes over government, they would build RDP houses in Orania.

Orania is a controversial white-only town in the Northern Cape that is independent from South Africa as it has its own currency and government. The town was founded in 1991 by Carel Boshoff Snr, an Afrikaner intellectual and son-in-law of apartheid architect Hendrik Verwoerd

Surprisingly, during the National and Provincial Elections, someone from Orania voted for the EFF.

During his address Juju also accused Northern Cape premier Zamani Saul of being a sell out.

According to reports, the Freedom Front Plus led by Correctional Services minister Pieter Groenewald wanted the ANC to recognise Orania.

In an interview with the SABC, Groenewald SABC confirmed that one of the party’s preconditions to negotiations with the ANC in joining GNU was the recognition of Orania.

JULIUS MALEMA CRITICISES GNU

Malema also used the party’s 11th year celebration to disparage the Government of National Unity (GNU).

As no political party achieved an outright majority in the 29 May polls, the African National Congress (ANC), formed the GNU with the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and other eight parties.

The EFF accused the ANC of being a sell out for partnering with the DA and Freedom Front Plus in order to govern the country.

Notably, a few days before president Cyril Ramaphosa announced his cabinet, the EFF proposed a new agreement, or Statement of Intent, between EFF and ANC instead of the ANC’s Statement of Intent agreed to by GNU partners. 

The party’s secretary-general Marshall Dlamini said this meant they would essentially enter into an agreement with the ANC as leader of government and not with other parties it may invite to the government. 

“Such an agreement or Statement of Intent must necessarily include fundamental principles informed by the strategic objective of the total liberation of the oppressed as encapsulated in the Freedom Charter and Progressive Internationalism. 

“The agreement or Statement of Intent must also necessarily include the principles of Redress and Equality as captured in Section 9.2 of the Constitution, which states that ‘to promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons, or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken. The agreement must translate into provincial and municipal governments with the aim of government stability and accelerated quality service delivery,” Dlamini said in June.

It is not clear whether the ANC ever responded to the EFF as the Red Berets are on the opposition benches in Parliament.