EFF says it will take up position of opposition in Parliament, claims MK Party has abandoned its role

JOHANNESBURG - The Economic Freedom Fighers (EFF) says it will take up the position of opposition in Parliament, accusing the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party of completely abandoning its role.

As the largest organisation not in government, the MK Party is the official opposition party.

However, the EFF said that former President Jacob Zuma's organisation was not equipped or experienced enough to play this role effectively.

The EFF’s Sinawo Tambo was speaking outside the Cape Town City Hall ahead of Thursday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The official opposition party usually holds a pre-SONA media briefing, but the MK Party has not done that.

In fact, it initially announced it would have a real SONA on Wednesday, however it postponed it to next Tuesday.

Tambo said it was important there was an effective opposition to the Government of National Unity (GNU).

"If anything, the EFF has proven itself to be the most fundamental and important opposition in terms of voting issues around what's happening in the DRC, what's happening in the USA, what's happening with legislation, it's the EFF that's been a consistent and impeccable voice on all of these matters. If anything, if you're looking for opposition in the Parliament of South Africa, it constitutes itself in the EFF."

The MK Party and the EFF are part of the parliamentary Progressive Caucus and despite the recent bad blood between the two parties, they have both re-committed to the caucus.