This past weekend marked the last stretch for election season and the big 3 political parties took the chance to canvas one more time for all those undecided voters. As a precursor to their  “Tshela Thupa” rally in Atteridgeville, the EFF hosted a cocktail party at Fountains Valley Resort  in Pretoria on Saturday night for the media as well as guests who had to pay R500 each to attend the shindig. If you’re familiar with Fountains Valley then you’d know it’s the epitome of ratchetness in Pretoria but the tent that the party was in was beautifully lit with red lights (cheesy right?) and a lovely interior with heaters & sofas (very posh for a guy that owes 16 million  in tax).

The event was meant to start at 19:00 but African Time was at it’s utmost best on the night, so it ended up starting at 22:00. We spotted Floyd Shivambu looking dapper in an all-black  suit and Julius Malema looking very relaxed in a shirt and leather jacket. Talking was kept down to a minimum as MC Mbuyeseni Ndlozi quickly introduced Gauteng Premier candidate Dali Mpofu who shared an inside joke about Floyd Shivambu, the Chief of Staff at the EFF. Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema finally gave his Keynote Address well after 23.00, talking about how & why he got expelled from the ANCYL, how Zuma became President of the ANC after Kgalema Motlanthe stepped down and finally dispelling the recent rumors of  a possible collision with the DA. “We cannot imagine kissing Helen Zille, those lips are not even appetizing”.

The next day was the big day for Malema & his cohorts as they hosted their Tshela Thupa Rally at the 29 000 seater Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. The event ran simultaneously with the ANC’s #SiyanqobaRally at the FNB Stadium in Soweto and the DA’s #WeCanWin concert/rally at the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto. This was the final statement of intent for the organization that was nothing but a concept in August last year. The stadium was already a sea of red by midday and the massive crowd was treated to performances from singers Kelly Khumalo and Bucie until a blast from the past in Tsekeleke doubled the volume of the 30 000-strong crowd.

The head honchos of the party arrived at 14:00 to a thunderous roar and they proceeded to take a lap around the stadium greeting the overjoyed crowd. Dali Mpofu opened the proceedings by promising to take over Gauteng and ridding the province of the dreaded e-tolls, even going as far as cutting  up a mini e-toll on stage which was well received by the red sea of fighters. Adv Mpofu is in contention for Premier of Gauteng against the DA’s Mmusi Maimane. Oddly enough, the ANC announced that they won’t be having a Gauteng Premier candidate even though Gauteng provincial secretary David Makhura’s name appears at the top of their list of preferred representatives.

Malema finally gave his keynote address a little after 15:00 and in typical Malema fashion gave an unscripted, uncensored and unadulterated speech holding back no punches. Some of his key points included minimum wage for petrol attendants, increasing welfare grants by 50% and creating a conducive environment for musicians to thrive in. ” If you aren’t from Kalawa Jazzme, TS Records or 999 Music then you won’t receive the opportunity to perform at political rallies” finally making a bold statement saying “Helen Zille is a racist!”

Besides milking Marikana for all it’s worth Juju gave a comprehensive account of what the EFF hopes to do if they get elected into parliament. “We don’t need 20 years in parliament, all we need is 5 years, that’s all.” Malema said “If every person in this stadium votes EFF then we already have a seat in parliament, that’s a victory because we’ve never had a seat before” he added before closing off his speech with the resounding chorus of “Dubula Guerrilla” with all the provincial Premier candidates joining him on stage.

Twitter: @Thapelo_Mosiuoa

Photos by @KCSeshibe

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