Cape Town – EFF leader Julius Malema says placing Carl Niehaus high on the party’s national candidate list for the upcoming elections is a deliberate move to signal to white people that the EFF harbours no animosity towards them.
Niehaus, a former African National Congress (ANC) member expelled in 2022 and now a member of the EFF, holds the 27th position on the list, likely securing him a seat in the National Assembly.
“Carl is top was EFF trying to tell white people we have no problems with white people, that’s why we even vote for them to go to Parliament to represent the EFF,” EWN quoted Malema as saying.
Malema’s outreach to minority groups, including whites, marks a shift in strategy, aiming to broaden the party’s support base, the report said.
Niehaus, a former ANC member, and African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (Areta) leader joined the EFF in December last year.
Niehaus, who was expelled from the ANC in December 2022, had previously been dismissed and reinstated in September 2021.
Despite his expulsion, he resigned from the ANC and established the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) Movement, later renamed Areta.
Last week, Niehaus, an ally of former president Jacob Zuma, refuted rumours that circulated on social media suggesting he has joined the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party.
According to The Citizen, a photo of him sparked speculation, but he dismissed it as “stupid propaganda”, clarifying that it was an old picture from his time as MKMVA spokesperson.
Niehaus expresses frustration with the rumours, asserting his contentment with his role in the EFF.
“I am happy at the EFF. This is just rubbish, and you can quote me on that.
“I am very happy as an EFF member. I wish people would stop this rubbish of theirs,” the report quoted him as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
