Vukile Dlwati13 December 2024 | 15:20

GNU is the reincarnation of the Moonshot Pact, says Malema

EFF leader Julius Malema believes the 2024 elections were supposed to surgically remove the EFF from South Africa’s political landscape. 

GNU is the reincarnation of the Moonshot Pact, says Malema

EFF leader Julius Malema. Picture: @EFFSouthAfrica/X

JOHANNESBURG – Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has poured cold water on the Government of National Unity (GNU). 

Delivering the red berets’ political report at the party’s 3rd National People’s Assembly takeoff at the Nasrec Expo Centre on Friday, he said the GNU is a recreation of the Moonshot Pact. 

The GNU was established after no political party secured outright majority of the votes in the May general elections. 

Taking a step back, the Moonshot Pact was a pre-election coalition agreement including the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), ActionSA, and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus). 

“The grand coalition of neoliberal forces originated as the Moonshot Pact  - which included the former liberation movement [African National Congress].

The former liberation movement has always been part and parcel of this Moonshot Pact – which later evolved into a grand coalition government, the so-called government of National Unity (GNU).” 

READ: EFF NPA: ‘For the first time, we’re under threat of disruption’ – Malema

According to Malema, the pact was formed with an agenda of conservativism.

“This is the Moonshot Pact that was formed to reject the National Health Insurance Bill to make universal healthcare accessible for all.” 

He added the Moonshot Pact was created to reject the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act that seeks to “make education accessible for all regardless of race and language”. 

'2024 POLLS WERE SUPPOSED TO REMOVE EFF FROM SA'S POLITICS'

Malema took a swipe at capitalists who would stop at nothing to eliminate the red berets by donating billions to neoliberals to reinforce their political muscle ahead of this year’s polls. 

“The 2024 elections were supposed to surgically remove the EFF from South Africa’s political landscape, and they [capitalists] were willing to go out and spend millions… We went into these elections knowing very well that we will be fighting for our survival to protect the strategic mission,” he said.

Further reflecting on the red berets’ poor performance at the May general elections, Malema said they experienced their “first electoral decline and suffered unprecedented levels of sabotage and infiltration”. 

He also frowned upon the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), saying it is another branch of the ANC. 

The EFF managed to clinch 9.52% of the national votes at the recent polls, which has compelled it to reflect and clean up its house. 

The party’s poor showing at the polls is going to be a hot-button topic for EFF delegates when they hold discussions to rebuild the party behind closed doors. 

Nominations for the party’s top six positions are likely to be made overnight on Friday, followed by voting. 

With 2,500 delegates expected to elect new leadership for the next five years, the NPA is set to conclude on Sunday when the party’s top six leadership positions will be revealed.