Julius Malema has described 2024 as 'a painful year' for the EFF, reflecting on the party's struggles, including a mass exodus of members and significant electoral losses. He is, however, optimistic ahead of the party's elective conference in December.

Three of the five Economic Freedom Fighters' (EFF) top brass are set to contest for re-election to their respective positions when the party heads to its third elective conference, dubbed the national people's assembly, in December 2024.

EFF leader and founder Julius Malema has made it clear that he intends to contest and is most likely to be re-elected unopposed. On Monday, 25 November 2024, he indicated that if the delegates gave the current top five a mandate to serve again, he was "prepared to go back with them", citing good relations.

Party secretary-general Marshal Dlamini and deputy secretary-general Poppy Mailola said they were up for the task, while treasurer-general Omphile Maotwe and national chairperson Veronica Mente said they would not make any pronouncements, but would hear from their branches.

The EFF is without a deputy president following Floyd Shivambu's defection to Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party. Mente and the former party secretary-general Godrich Gardee are at the forefront of the race to replace Shivambu.

The fourth-largest party in the country has in recent months suffered major electoral losses, including losing its position as the third-largest political...