THE newly appointed deputy secretary of the EFF in KwaZulu-Natal aims to ensure that the party has members committed to its vision as it works to reclaim lost ground.

Deputy secretary in KZN, Khethiwe Buthelezi, said she is now the custodian of the party’s data. One of her key tasks is to ensure that the data is clean and accurately reflects the true, legitimate membership of the party.The EFF announced wide-ranging changes to its leadership in KZN which are meant to reinforce the core of the leadership structures in the province.

On Friday, the party said the Provincial Command Team (PCT) held a meeting with the party’s secretary-general, Marshal Dlamini, focused on strengthening the PCT, reinforcing leadership structures and intensifying election readiness efforts.

The meeting resulted in the establishment of an election-dedicated committee and the deployment of reinforcements to the existing leadership across municipalities.

The party said this strategic restructuring aims to ensure that the EFF in KZN remains a formidable force going forward, with a clear focus on grassroots mobilisation, ward-level co-ordination, and securing victory in critical regions.

The elections committee was established to drive campaign strategy, voter engagement, and logistical preparation for the upcoming elections.

Buthelezi, who is from the Ugu district, has held several previous roles in the party.

“This elevation is not about me; I am not better than anyone in the party, but I am grateful that the party has trusted me with this responsibility, and I will work hard to ensure that I deliver on my duties,” she said.

These will include working with the secretary, Mongezi Twala, and holding the secretariat office when he is busy with other party commitments, she added.

She said she was not concerned that most of the parties the EFF is competing with for votes have strong personalities among their leadership. “The EFF is a school; it produces its own leaders. You see that even when we debate, the party builds and develops you as a leader, so I am not concerned,” she said.

Political analysts have expressed scepticism about the EFF’s plans for revival amid concerns that there are no “stand-out” personalities that members can coalesce around.

Analyst Thabani Khumalo said KZN politics is unlike that of any other province. “You have the IFP, the ANC, and the MK Party, all built around personalities.”He noted that when the ANC was unbanned and sought to compete in elections, it left leaders like Jacob Zuma and Harry Gwala in the province because it knew that this was where it would face strong competition.

“Even after the last year’s election setback, the party has brought back strong leaders like Jeff Radebe.”

Professor Musa Xulu, a heritage expert and socio-political analyst, said there is general instability in all major black-led political parties, and the EFF is no exception.

“The problem with the EFF has been its projection as a youthful, radical, disrespectful political party. That will never go down well with a politically, culturally, and religiously conservative province like KZN,” Xulu said.

THE MERCURY