MKP, EFF Unity: Is It Time for Another Cup of Tea?

Kim Heller

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) dare not betray their revolutionary mission as the ANC has done. The EFF and MK, together with smaller black progressive parties, could well be the last hope for economic liberation and historical justice in South Africa.

The ANC government, once the dream catcher for black South Africans, has failed to end the dark nightmare of structural racism, inequality and economic exclusion. The majority of South Africa's people are desperate. The dream of liberation and justice cannot be deferred yet again, lest it is lost forever.

The ever-uncertain gambit of politics saw the ANC lose its majority in the 2024 elections. It was a well-deserved loss, for the ruling party has failed and forsaken the masses. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu writes about the need to seize the moment and teaches that amid chaos lies opportunities. EFF and MK have yet to seize the moment.

If they do not do so, the cries of ordinary people seeking salvation from their daily battles against joblessness, landlessness, and poverty will remain unanswered, and the country could tumble furiously towards total collapse.

The electoral defeat was no wake-up call for the ANC. In its political slumber, it has been desperate to market the GNU as a win for democracy rather than as an unprecedented loss for the ANC and economic liberation. Progressive black parties need to find a common cause and expose the fatal fault lines of the GNU, its uneasy mesh of irreconcilable ideological contradictions and backward agenda. 

But instead of challenging the dominance of the GNU, the EFF and the MK have become entangled in a web of personal and political rivalry, mistrust, and internal strife. This damages prospects for tactical and strategic unity. There is nothing revolutionary in personal and political upmanship. Both the EFF and the MK are astute enough to know that liberation is not a competitive sport, the exclusive trademark of political leaders, or the province of any political party.

In his book, One Azania, One Nation, Black consciousness scholar Neville Alexander emphasises how joint tactical campaigns and collaboration do not constitute ideological surrender, fusion, or compromise. The EFF demonstrated this in their compact with the DA in Gauteng in 2015. It utilised this tactical relationship to advance pro-black, pro-poor budgets and outcomes, as well as insourcing and service delivery to underserviced areas.

It is not too late for tactical engagement and programmes between the EFF,  MK and other progressive forces. The PAC may be tempted to reevaluate whether its easy acquiescence with right-wing partners within the GNU is not irrevocably tarnishing the impeccable legacy of Robert Sobukwe or damaging its future revolutionary wingspan.

The willingness of progressive forces to work in unison at this moment, irrespective of longer-term strategic differences, will determine a new matrix of political power in South Africa for years to come. It will also impact on their fates and fortunes.

The EFF is still a work in progress. The EFF's electoral blow, which saw the party dip to just 9.5% of the national vote has prompted introspection.  The departure of Deputy President, Floyd Shivambu cannot continue to overshadow or cloud the EFF's focus on organisational recalibration. Hackneyed parliamentary objections and walkouts are obscuring the solid and steady work executed by the party in Parliaments and legislatures across the country.

This includes EFF's potent challenge of the paralysing VAT increases and the party's legal challenge to the fuel increase which represent material wins for ordinary South Africans. Similarly, the recent insourcing of public service workers in Tshwane is a meaningful victory. It is on the crest of its ability to deliver a better life for ordinary people that the EFF will recover from its electoral and leadership losses.

The fortunes of the MK are difficult to predict. The Zuma factor was completely underestimated. Great expectations for the MK party after its strong birth cry and outstanding electoral performance have tempered due to a lack of organisational cohesion and a disruptive gamble of musical chairs.

The party needs to stabilise and showcase its leadership pedigree and mettle in Parliament and solidify its vision for the future if it wants to be a party of gravitas rather than grievance. The ambiguity of its dual ANC-MK membership provision creates confusion and uncertainty and may scare off progressive alliances and voters.

Time is running out. Political leaders must never forget that the revolution belongs to the people and that political parties and leaders are merely servants. Petty party-political rivalries must never be placed ahead of the grand mission for economic justice and transformation.

A new era of politics is upon us. Whether the progressive forces can seize this moment and boldly influence the future trajectory of power relations in South Africa is in their hands. To join hands on critical tactical projects which will strengthen democracy, raise the voice for the voiceless in Parliament and benefit the people of South Africa is the very least we should expect of progressive politicians.

Both the EFF and the MK have been game-changers and kingmakers in South African politics. They must now lead the charge in reviving hope and radical focus, disrupting neoliberal hegemony and stopping the master plan of the DA to entrench its structural power over the plains of South Africa.

For now, a tactical pact is necessary to help address the unfinished business of Black liberation. When the love of the people trumps personal or political hatred or dispute,  everyone wins.

* Kim Heller is a political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.