Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on Wednesday declared the party’s tenth-anniversary celebration a success and said the EFF is preparing for the 2024 elections.

Last week, the EFF held a gala dinner and filled the FNB Stadium with almost 100 000 supporters as part of its tenth-anniversary celebrations.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, Malema said the success of the rally showed that there was no debate about the success of the party.

"It was a show of intent and force that led to the most measurable political events at the FNB Stadium since the funeral of Chris Hani. The EFF is proud of the monumental feat it achieved at FNB Stadium and the success is not a claim made by the EFF on its own but confirmed by the stadium management itself. We can confirm, and this is a figure received from the management of the stadium, that there were 97 436 attendees at the tenth anniversary of the EFF. There were more than 6 000 at a tent overflow which in total accounts to more than 100 000 people who attended the rally of the EFF physically," said Malema.

The EFF leader saluted all attendees and public representatives who brought their constituencies to what he called an historic occasion.

Meanwhile, Malema warned of consequences for EFF public representatives who failed to execute their mandates ahead of the EFF’s anniversary celebrations, including selling gala dinner tables and procuring transport.

He said the EFF would not tolerate individuals who were unable to make meaningful contributions towards the party’s activities.  

On the death of two attendees at the celebration, Malema said the party sent its deepest condolences to their families and their loved ones. 

The EFF leadership had already met with their families and preparations were underway to honour the two lives that were lost after celebrating what Malema called "a decade of unbroken struggle".

The two people who lost their lives are Mapaseka Sebolawa from the North West and Moses Mazamulela from Gauteng.

ELECTIONS

Malema said the ballot box battle had begun as the party prepares for the 2024 national and provincial election through massive consultations with all sectors of society to deliver a people's manifesto. 

Malema said the upcoming elections would be the most important since the country’s democratic transition in 1994.

He said the EFF preferred a grand opposition coming together to replace the “kleptocratic” ANC government.

He encouraged South Africans to vote for the EFF, which he said would usher in economic freedom. 

Meanwhile, the EFF is also working on a documentary to show the evolution of the organisation over the last decade, as well as provide in-depth insight into the life and times of the party.