Actor-turned-politician Fana Mokoena who recently dumped the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has taken to social media to announce that he is returning back to acting.
Mokoena, 53, left the EFF on October 17, with a Parliament spokesperson confirming to IOL News that speaker Thoko Didiza received his resignation letter as an MP.
"We can confirm that the Speaker is in receipt of a letter of resignation from Mr Mokoena," he said.
According to sources, Mokoena sent his letter to the party secretary-general Marshall Dlamini last week. This was before Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane could tender her resignation letter.
Mkhwebane, who is a former Public Protector, resigned from the EFF the day before him. She also resigned as an MP.
Mokoena’s political career:
In 2014, Mokoena was elected as an EFF MP, serving as the party's representative in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
In 2016, he moved to the National Assembly, where he remained until his resignation in 2020.
In June of this year, he returned to Parliament after the May 29 general elections.
He served as a member of the Portfolio Committees on Trade, Industry, Competition, and Sport, Arts, and Culture.
Mokoena and Mkhwebane are among big names who recently left the EFF. Thereafter, many joined uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.
Why are many EFF members dump the party to join the MK party?
On October 22, IOL News reported that political analysts have attributed the wave of resignations from the EFF to lack of constructive political ideology, rising tensions concerning racial issues, and ineffective governance.
This was after Mokoena and Mkhwebane dropped EFF’s red overalls.
Political analyst, professor Theo Neethling, from the University of the Free State’s department of political studies and governance, said some of the reasons for the departure could be lack of commitment, constructive politics, and failure to show any ability to govern.
Another political analyst, Goodenough Mashego attributed the resignation of EFF members to the party’s declining relevance, arguing that the party has abandoned its leftist tendencies, which allowed the MK Party to occupy the space and attract its members.
Mashego said the departure of Mokoena and others, should be seen as the party no longer being the alternative left party that people have been looking for — as the MK Party continues to attract people from marginalised communities.
Mokoena returns to acting:
After speculations that he too, might join the MK party, Mokoena took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce that he will soon be gracing television screens.
I’m honored to be working with my good friends Desmond Dube and Warren Masemola again. Two of the most simmered artists in this proud land. Good brothers come together again. It’s always a blast. Salute pic.twitter.com/KT2KOQNmZR
In his tweet, he posted pictures of actors Desmond Dube and actor Warren Masemola.
“I’m honoured to be working with my good friends Desmond Dube and Warren Masemola again. Two of the most simmered artists in this proud land. Good brothers come together again. It’s always a blast. Salute,” he captioned the tweet.
His followers flocked to the comments section and lauded his move to return to acting, while others demanded clarity why he dumped the EFF.
A look at Mokoena’s acting career:
After graduating from the University of Cape Town (UCT) with a degree in drama in 1991, the Kroonstad born, in Free State, began acting career with a theatre role in Durban, at the Playhouse Company.
His first television role was in 1994, in a series called The Line, in which he played Tebogo, a young activist.
He then scored another television role, on the 52 Regent East, in which he played a young doctor and later joined famous soapie, Generations, in 1998 as Dr Mandla Sithole.
Mokoena played various roles, including the 1997 thriller Dangerous Ground, Yizo Yizo in 1999 as Thula, and portraying the character of Rwandan general Augustin Bizimungi, in the film called Hotel Rwanda in 2004.
Mokeona went on to appear in popular productions, including Silent Witness, A Small Town Called Descent, Machine Gun Preacher, Safe House, World War Z alongside American actor and film producer Brad Pitt.
He also played Govan Mbeki in the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, alongside Idris Elba and featured in Scandal! in 2021, as the head of the family in one of the families before his exit.
IOL Politics