This weekend, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will see Julius Malema re-elected as its president without a challenge for the third time in a row since the party's founding in 2013.
With his unwavering and unrepentant leadership style, Malema is about to take the helm once more, but this time without Floyd Shivambu, his close associate and former deputy.
The seat became available when Shivambu left the EFF to join the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which was founded by former President Jacob Zuma.
After serving as the MKP's national organiser, he was later named secretary-general of the party.
The EFF is currently holding its elective conference at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Soweto, Johannesburg.
The three-day conference will see the new leadership being elected.
The deputy president position is now open to everyone.
It is widely assumed that Malema is endorsing the party's secretary-general, Godrich Gardee, for the position.
But whether Gardee will be nominated is another question because the rank and file of the EFF allegedly want Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, the former spokesperson to be elected deputy president.
Members, including others in the Central Command Team (CCT) want Ndlozi to contest the position because they believe only he can do the job.
But many who have challenged Malema in the past have been expelled.
In October, the party’s Student Command (EFFSC) member Kganki Mphalele was expelled by the party following a social media spat with leader Julius Malema.
The decision was made in response to allegations that Mphahlele had engaged in insulting and defamatory remarks about the party and its leadership.
Mphahele got into an online public spat with Malema after he suggested that he was not a National People's Assembly super delegate and he must not parachute Gardee to the deputy president position.
According to Mphahlele, Ndlozi was the preferred one. Some knowledgeable delegates support Ndlozi's candidature over Gardee because they feel Malema is forcing it on them.
When delegates arrived at UJ Soweto for registration on Thursday, Ndlozi was nowhere to be seen.
He was not even at the Central Command Team meeting.
It is also alleged that Ndlozi was barred from attending the third national people’s assembly.
IOL Politics
