ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA
EFF 12TH ANNIVERSARY RALLY ON 24 JULY 2025
The Economic Freedom Fighters will this year mark 12 years since our revolutionary movement was born. The 12th Anniversary of the EFF will be held in Khayelitsha, in the City of Cape Town, Western Cape.
This important gathering of our people was initially scheduled to take place in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, but following the devastating floods that left many displaced and communities in mourning, the EFF made the responsible decision to relocate the venue out of respect and solidarity with those affected. This change of venue was not done in isolation or without consultation.
Together with King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, we visited the affected areas of Phola Park, Dekolweni, and Bambanani in Mthatha, where we engaged directly with the people, explained the reasons behind the relocation, assessed the scale of the disaster firsthand, and contributed towards relief efforts.
This is how leadership must respond in times of crisis—not through press releases, but by physically being present with the people. The chosen venue of Khayelitsha is significant. It is the second-largest township in South Africa, home to thousands of poor and working-class Africans who continue to live under the weight of spatial apartheid and deliberate underdevelopment. Khayelitsha remains physically and economically separated from the so-called “worldclass” parts of Cape Town. When the DA-led City speaks of a smart city, they are not referring to Khayelitsha.
They are referring to the white enclaves of Sea Point, Claremont, Constantia, and Stellenbosch, while the people of Khayelitsha are left to swim in poverty, crime, poor sanitation, overcrowding, and lack of basic housing. It is for these reasons that the EFF has chosen to host its 12th Anniversary in Khayelitsha.
We must be where the people are, especially the most marginalised, because they are the base, home, and shield of this movement. It is from these communities that the EFF draws its strength. It is these communities that have never wavered in defending the organisation against all attacks, lies, and conspiracies aimed at collapsing it.
We have built a 10,000 capacity dome in Khayelitsha that will serve as the main venue for the rally. This structure includes all essential amenities, including sanitation facilities, and will be ready to host thousands of Fighters, supporters, and community members. We expect a powerful turnout from surrounding areas including Site B, Site C, TR Section, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Delft, and Belhar. This will not just be an event it will be a Festival of the Poor, a moment to reflect on 12 years of struggle, survival, growth, and victories.
Twelve years ago, the EFF was born out of the necessity to confront the failures of the post-1994 dispensation and the betrayal of the economic aspirations of the black majority. We were formed to fight for economic freedom in our lifetime, and for twelve years, we have done exactly that fearlessly, consistently, and without compromise. This year’s anniversary is being held at a time when the country is still recovering from a difficult 2024 election.
The elections revealed the lengths to which the ruling class and white monopoly capital were willing to go to prevent the rise of the EFF. Billionaire-funded small parties were deliberately created and supported to fragment the black vote and weaken the voice of radical and leftist politics in South Africa. These efforts were not random they were calculated attempts to push the country into the hands of the racist Democratic Alliance through backdoor coalitions. Despite these efforts, the EFF remains standing.
We emerged from the elections intact, stronger in conviction, and even more grounded in the support of our people. Our survival is not an accident it is the result of the successful 3rd National People’s Assembly (NPA), democratically constituted by thousands of delegates from branches across the country. Unlike those who run away from internal democracy, the EFF continues to lead by example.
We hold transparent, contested, democratic conferences where leadership is elected and not imposed. We are not a spaza shop, owned by a family, run from a laptop, or directed from the back seat of a luxury vehicle. This year has rightly earned its name as the Year of the Picket Lines. Across the country, different structures of the EFF have organised and participated in pickets to raise the voices of the marginalised.
We have picketed against police brutality, crime, the exclusion of youth from employment, and the privatisation of water and health services. EFF branches, the Youth Command, and Labour Desk have taken the struggle to the streets. These are not symbolic actions, but expressions of deep frustration with the status quo and a reaffirmation that the streets remain a key site of struggle.
The EFF in Parliament, in legislatures, and in municipalities continues to punch far above its weight. Since the beginning of 2025, our contributions have been unmatched. We have challenged the proposed VAT increase, fought against unjustified electricity price hikes, and exposed the irregular awarding of the National Lottery license.
We demanded the formation of an ad hoc parliamentary committee to investigate infiltration of the criminal justice system, and we played a central role in setting aside the illegally adopted 2025 Fiscal Framework, forcing the government to return to Parliament and fix its unlawfully passed budget.
We have ensured transparency in the appointment of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board chairpersons, fought against exploitative data prices, and defended the rights of students, workers, and the unemployed. We have shown that when guided by a revolutionary spirit, even with limited numbers, it is possible to bring the entire Parliament and Executive to a standstill if they defy the Constitution and the will of the people.
At the local government level, our Fighters who are Members of Mayoral Committees (MMCs) are doing exceptional work. In Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini, and Nelson Mandela Bay, EFF MMCs have taken on critical portfolios including Health, Public Safety, Water, Environment, and Human Settlements. Their performance is visible and unmatched.
These are daily contributions that are improving the lives of our people. As we mark this milestone, we must remind our people and the media alike that the EFF is not just a protest movement—we are in government. We have provided clarity on key policy issues, from land expropriation without compensation, to nationalising the Reserve Bank, to free decolonised education, publicly funded healthcare, and the establishment of a state-owned pharmaceutical company. These are not slogans—they are programmes of action which we continue to champion inside and outside the state.
The EFF has also shown the capacity to build structures, discipline, and internal democracy. Our councillors, Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs), Members of Parliament (MPs), and Members of Mayoral Committees (MMCs) are subjected to regular performance assessments and community-based reporting mechanisms. No other party in South Africa is as organisationally grounded and politically coherent as the EFF.
The 12th Anniversary will also be used to highlight the next site of our struggle: economic empowerment, sovereignty, and state capacity.
We must confront the neoliberal policies that continue to paralyse our economy, privatise public services, and surrender decision-making to credit rating agencies, international financial institutions, and unelected consultants. The GNU has proven that it has no plan for economic growth outside of budget cuts and outsourcing. The EFF, on the other hand, continues to advocate for a massive public-led stimulus programme, industrialisation, and localisation of production to build real economic sovereignty.
The EFF is concerned by the high cost of electricity which is causing distress to all South Africans. The uprisings in Tembisa are a signal that the cost of electricity— disproportionate when measured in units versus price—is going to lead to instability in our country. The EFF warned South Africa on 30 January 2025 that the decision by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to greenlight Eskom’s 12.7% electricity tariff increase on 1 April 2025 would be reckless—and now that reality has kicked in. This move is yet another assault on the working class and the poor, who are already grappling with relentless economic hardships. In September 2024, Eskom sought approval for an outrageous 66% multi-year tariff escalation, with a staggering 36.15% increase proposed for 2025 alone. While NERSA scaled down the demand to just over 24%, with a planned 12.7% hike this year and the rest spread across the next two years, it remains unjustifiable and will inflict severe financial distress on households, businesses, and the broader economy.
Millions of South Africans, already struggling to afford basic necessities, now face deeper economic exclusion and worsening inequality. At a time when food prices, fuel costs, and other essential goods are skyrocketing, imposing yet another electricity price hike is a direct attack on the livelihoods of ordinary people. This is not the first time that NERSA has enabled Eskom’s exploitation of the people. In 2023, the regulator approved a cumulative 33.77% increase, implemented in two phases: 18.65% in 2023 and 12.74% in 2024. This persistent escalation is proof that the ruling elite has abandoned its duty to ensure electricity remains an affordable public good that fuels economic growth and human development. Eskom was built with public funds, and its energy should not be commodified for profit while the masses are left in the dark.
The EFF will pursue mechanisms in Parliament to drastically and gradually reduce the cost of electricity so that South Africans get value for money and do not pay more
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