ACTIVIST Dennis Bloem has warned that the tension between the EFF and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) is playing in the hands of the “enemy”.
Bloem, the former ANC and Cope leader, said he raised the issue out of deep concern.
He pleaded with the leaders of both political parties to come together and address their differences maturely.
These sentiments came after EFF leader Julius Malema publicly declared MKP enemy number one.
Malema said he wanted nothing to do with the MKP because the party’s leader, Jacob Zuma, had made it his business to mass recruit EFF members from his party.
His statement came amid the mass exodus of high-profile members such as Floyd Shivambu, Dali Mpofu, Mzwanele Manyi, and Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who have all joined MKP.
The latest departure from the EFF was founding member Alfred Motsi, who also joined the Zuma party.
Both parties share similar economic policies, including land expropriation and state ownership of mines and banks.
“For any democracy to succeed, such democracy needs a strong and vibrant opposition to keep the government accountable.
“EFF and MKP have a huge and important role to play inside and outside of Parliament. Voters voted in their millions for both parties,” said Bloem.
He said he was extremely disturbed by the turn of events, adding that instead of strengthening and consolidating unity, “we” see insults and name-calling between each other to such an extent that the leader of EFF declared MKP their enemy.
“The leaders of EFF and MKP are not novices in politics. They know very well that these kinds of tensions between them play directly into the hands of the real enemy and are very dangerous.
“We must never forget what happened in the past when the apartheid government unleashed black-on-black violence in the townships and thousands of black people died,” said Bloem.
He added that he knows the two parties' leaders can sort out their differences.
Malema’s stance to declare the MKP an enemy was in contradiction to his statement in the run-up to the elections on May 29, which resulted in the MKP overtaking the EFF as the third largest party in SA.
Malema said he was willing to work with the MKP.
The EFF had the strong support of the young population, who were frustrated with the slow pace of political and economic reforms since the end of apartheid in 1994.
However, the party suffered a major setback when, instead of achieving its goal of rising from the country’s third-biggest party to second, it dropped to fourth.