WHEN Julius Malema’s EFF won 11 council seats in the Emfuleni Local Municipality, there were jubilation in the camp.
But it seems the honeymoon is over.
Parks Khaiyane, the party’s controversial member of the Gauteng legislature, is recovering from a brutal beating, allegedly at the hands of fellow party members. They reportedly stormed his house in Sebokeng’s zone 14 in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Khaiyane is apparently one of many EFF members who were allegedly kidnapped and tortured at the party’s regional offices, allegedly by fellow party members. Khaiyane – who is currently suspended – was unavailable for comment as his phone was on voicemail.
The SunTeam visited his home, but his partner refused to comment.
Almost all EFF members who called Daily Sun on Tuesday morning were suddenly unreachable after their phones rang unanswered.
An EFF member said the violence started after the party’s office administrator added herself and her friends to the final list submitted to the IEC and handed it to the Emfuleni Municipality. Eleven EFF councillors were barred from taking their oaths of office because of a protest by members at the inaugural council sitting at the Vereeniging Civic Hall.
Public order cops were sent after EFF members sjamboked each other. Later, the party’s dirty linen was broadcast on a live current affairs show at a local radio station.
Police spokeswoman Sergeant Gertrude Makhale said they were aware of the attack, but no one had opened a case.
All efforts to reach EFF national spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi were unsuccessful.
A statement sent out to branch leaders by EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee of the Central Command Team said: “EFF members who write grievance letters about councillor lists to the party’s national leadership are defining themselves outside the Red Berets’ discipline.”
