EFF launches its 2019 election manifesto – largely a populist agenda

SOUTH AFRICA - Report 04 Feb 2019 by Iraj Abedian

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With the 2019 general elections fast approaching, political parties are beginning to intensify their campaigns. The ruling party, the National African Congress (ANC), has centered its promises around reviving South Africa’s economy, while the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has promised to create jobs. On the other hand, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has remained quite vocal about its intentions, promising land and economic freedom.

On February 2, 2019, the EFF launched its election manifesto for the 2019 general elections, titled “OUR LAND AND JOBS NOW”. According to the party, the theme puts an emphasis on land, which “derives from the fact that 25 years since the attainment of political freedom, 80% of the population continues to occupy less than 10% of South Africa’s land.” Moreover, the emphasis on jobs “is motivated by the sad reality that after 25 years of attempts at addressing the matter, more than seven million capable South Africans who need jobs are unemployed, with no hope that anything will change unless the current government is changed.” Lastly, the EFF feels that for over the past 25 years, the ruling party has only made empty promises and as such, they also put an emphasis on now. In the party’s words, they state, “NOW because our people live in absolute poverty. Similarly, the emphasis on NOW is because our people are landless. The emphasis on NOW is because our people are jobless. Yet again the emphasis on NOW is because the crises of racialised poverty, inequality, underdevelopment, landlessness and joblessness are being experienced NOW, and must be resolved NOW.”