By: Buhle Mbhele 

Economic Freedom Fighters Leader Julius Malema delivered the 2024 election Manifesto at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on 10 February in Durban KwaZulu Natal. A 2019 manifesto with a tweak here and there, here’s what you need to know. 

For the upcoming general elections, the party is running with the slogan Our Land & Jobs Now. Stop Loadshedding. 

 “We are in these elections for nothing else but to win these elections.” – Malema 

Land expropriation without compensation has been the Red berets famous pillar of the seven which includes nationalisation of mines, banks, and other strategic sectors of the economy, without compensation, doing away with tenders through building state and government capacity, free quality education, health care, and sanitation, job creation with a minimum wage to close the wage gap between rich and the poor, development of the African economy through moving from reconciliation to justice on the entire continent and have an open, accountable, corrupt-free government and society without fear of victimisation by state agencies.  

The EFF says this Manifesto is based on three sources which are; public engagements, the founding Manifesto of the EFF, and its experience from local to national governance.  

Land 

On land expropriation without compensation, EFF spokesperson speaking to Gagasi FM News journalist Buhle Mbhele explained that their key priorities are people currently based in rural areas. 

While delivering the manifesto, Malema mentioned that they will target women and young people should they be voted into power when executing this plan. The 2024 Manifesto indicates that the Red Berets will expropriate land in terms of law of general application and for a public purpose or in the public interest. 

“Comrades, in 1994, the majority of land owners were white people, in 2024 the majority of land owners are still the settlers.” – Malema 

 In a EFF government, the state will be the custodian of all South African land, each province will have a People’s Land Court or land-related disputes, and there will be a land bank that will facilitate development grants targeting emerging farmers.  

Job Creation 

Under the EFF government, there will be state-owned housing and roads companies through which it anticipates about 4 million jobs will be created, moreover, a state-owned security company will be established for government facilities protection with the idea of creating 1.2 million jobs. 

Currently, under the ANC government, there is no state-owned security company but rather the State Security Agency which now falls under the Presidency; after being a standalone department before the 2021 July unrest. President Cyril Ramaphosa decided to place it under his office because of the failure to detect the violence that erupted during the unrest.  

The party says they will impose a quota of 60% on all shops to sell locally produced goods and products. 

These are some of the 33 points the EFF government will look like in employment. 

 Energy and electricity supply 

Already from their slogan, Stop Loadshedding, it is clear that their plan is to bring to an end the rolling power cuts under the current reigning government of the ANC, this of course is what South Africans yearn for however, this is what the EFF government says it will provide better electricity supply. 

The EFF says it will, among other plans, terminate all existing contracts with independent power producers. On Eskom, it plans to establish a state-owned mining company to manage coal mines owned by the utility, it says this company will also export surplus coal, prioritizing African countries to support their electrification and industrialization. It also says it will direct Eskom to develop an internal substantial renewable energy division to build its own infrastructure, focusing on solar, wind, and hydro-energy and researching to improve their reliability.  

Education 

The EFF wants to do away with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) system, transfer money from their government straight to tertiary institutions and they manage applications, removing the administrative process from the institutions. 

Parents who do not take their children to school will be arrested under the EFF government, the party plans to increase the use of information and communication technology for teaching, and learners who live 2km away from their school, will be provided with transportation.  

Under the EFF government, South Africans doing their Grade 12 will have to ensure by the time they write their finals they have applied for tertiary education because it will be compulsory to pursue post-secondary school learning. Free accommodation will be provided for all tertiary students, each institution will have a 24/7 clinic. 

A confident Malema has made it clear, the EFF is going nowhere in KZN and they remain fearless. 

“Bethanda bengathandi, we are here and we are going nowhere.” – Malema 

A full Manifesto is available on the party’s website.

CLICK HERE: EFF Manifesto 2024