SA’s Marxist-Leninist EFF destined for ash heap of history

Dugan Brown and Yonela Toshe-Mlambo

In his iconic 1982 address, former US President Ronald Reagan proclaimed that “democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history”.

He was speaking at a time when the rigid, authoritarian systems propped up by Marxist ideologies were beginning to show cracks under the weight of their inefficiencies, corruption, and disregard for human rights.

Today, a similar fate awaits the EFF, which positions itself as the revolutionary vanguard of the proletariat.

However, beneath its revolutionary rhetoric and populist posturing, it is doomed to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions, internal authoritarian tendencies, and unsustainable policies.

From its inception, the EFF has presented itself as the champion of economic freedom, with fiery leader Julius Malema at the helm, railing against South Africa’s economic inequalities.

The party’s manifesto is soaked in Marxist-Leninist rhetoric, invoking the need for state control of key industries, expropriation of land without compensation, and the nationalisation of mines, banks, and other critical sectors. These policies are eerily reminiscent of the economic centralisation and forced collectivisation associated with Stalinist policies that ravaged the Soviet Union.

Stalin’s rule, marked by paranoia, suppression of dissent, and economic mismanagement, led to widespread famine, political purges, and the hollowing out of the Soviet economy.

The EFF’s ideological foundation suggests that it, too, seeks to replicate the disastrous outcomes of Stalinist totalitarianism, merely rebranded for 21st-century South Africa.

At the core of the EFF’s political strategy is a personality cult built around Malema. This mirrors the dangerous centralisation of power under one leader where dissent is crushed, and political discourse is stifled by the sheer terror of an all powerful leader. Malema’s frequent attacks on journalists, opposition parties, and even members of his party reveal a leader whose politics are rooted in fear and intimidation instead of an open debate or democratic principles.

Typical of Marxism-Leninism, Malema’s EFF purges those within its ranks who dare to question the leadership. The party’s frequent public outbursts and internal purges have created a hostile environment where dissent is not tolerated, and this suffocating centralism will be its undoing.

The EFF’s populist rhetoric may resonate with a section of South Africa’s disenfranchised youth, however, the party’s “policy” proposals are as impractical as they are dangerous.

The economic policies championed by the EFF – particularly the call for the nationalisation of industries and the expropriation of land without compensation – are not only untenable in the global economic order but would also spell disaster for South Africa’s already fragile economy.

History has shown that centrally planned economies tend to stagnate, with resources misallocated by bureaucrats rather than distributed by market forces.

The disastrous experiments in collectivisation in the Soviet Union and Maoist China led to mass starvation and the collapse of agricultural productivity.

The EFF’s proposals, if implemented, would likely result in a similar catastrophe. Moreover, the party’s obsession with state ownership mirrors the Soviet economic model, where the government monopolised industries to disastrous effect. The failure of centrally planned economies lies not only in the inefficiency of state control but also in the inherent corruption that accompanies such systems.

The EFF, with its aggressive calls for nationalisation, appears to ignore this historical lesson. While it promises economic salvation through state control, what it offers is a return to an inefficient and corrupt system that inevitably breeds cronyism and political favouritism.

Despite its revolutionary posturing, the EFF’s rise is neither unique nor unprecedented. Across the globe, political movements rooted in Marxist Leninist ideology have either collapsed or been forced to undergo significant reforms to remain relevant.

From the fall of the Soviet Union to the dramatic market reforms in China, Cuba, and Vietnam, it is clear that rigid adherence to Marxist-Leninist principles is a dead-end strategy. The EFF’s stubborn refusal to adapt its policies to the realities of the modern world will lead to its eventual political demise.

There are already signs that the EFF is struggling to maintain its relevance. While it may attract attention through its provocative tactics in the National Assembly and the media, the party has failed to present itself as a serious political force capable of governing South Africa. Its internal divisions, authoritarian leadership, and lack of a coherent, realistic policy platform have limited its appeal beyond the most disenfranchised segments of the electorate.

The party’s voter base remains largely confined to young, unemployed South Africans who are drawn to Malema’s fiery rhetoric but have little faith in the EFF’s ability to deliver tangible improvements to their lives.

As the realities of governance become clearer, the EFF’s radical rhetoric will increasingly alienate moderate voters who seek practical solutions to South Africa’s deep rooted socio-economic problems.

As history has shown, populist movements often burn brightly for a brief period before collapsing under the weight of their unfulfilled promises and internal contradictions. The EFF is no different. Its moment in the sun will be fleeting, and it will eventually find itself relegated to the same “ash heap of history” that consumed the very ideologies it seeks to emulate.

In the end, the EFF’s legacy will be that of a party that promised revolution but delivered only more of the same political dysfunction. Its Marxist Leninist aspirations have been rejected by a South African electorate that is tired of empty promises and failed ideologies.

The EFF may continue to exist as a fringe political force, but it will never achieve the economic and political dominance it seeks. Like other radical movements before it, the EFF will find itself unable to reconcile its revolutionary ideology with the complexities of modern governance.

In time, the EFF will be left where it belongs – on the ash heap of history, alongside other failed attempts to impose Marxist-Leninist dogma on the world.

* Brown is a Bachelor of Social Science student at UCT. Toshe-Mlambo is a freelance socio-political commentator.

Cape Times