The EFF's tactics prior to its shutdown on Monday stoked widespread fear in many communities reeling from the trauma of the July 2021 unrest, where unorganised protest morphed into deadly mayhem, writes Qaanitah Hunter.
EFF leader Julius Malema knows about the power of mass protest in politics, where theatrics and crowd swell matter.
Twelve years ago, he led a famous march for economic freedom where tens of thousands of protesters joined him in a rally that began in the Joburg CBD, stopped in Sandton, and continued all the way to Pretoria.
That march laid the foundation for his 10-year-old opposition party.
Now, Malema's decade-old party faces a test of relevance as people grow tired of the EFF's violent theatrics and flip-flopping politics.
With just over 10% of electoral support in the last general and municipal elections, the EFF is desperate to grow its support base in next year's crucial elections.
EFF's identity crisis
But as of late, the EFF has had an identity of crisis of sorts, where it works with the ANC in some municipalities, agrees to co-govern with the majority party, but then calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa's political demise.
It has been confusing to track the EFF's politics in the last year. It was even more puzzling when Malema and his caucus physically charged Ramaphosa when he delivered the State of the Nation Address in February.
It seems like the EFF and Malema want to opt out of the rules governing our constitutional democracy but still want to reap its benefits.
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Organising a protest to call for a president implicated in alleged wrongdoing is not nearly an anomaly in a constitutional democracy, nor is people gathering in anger against daily blackouts that have gripped the country without reprieve.
But the EFF doesn't want to play by the rules.
And the shutdown was not meant to be a legitimate political protest where permission is sought, and order is maintained.
The party was clear it wanted to bring the entire country to a standstill in pursuit of its protest. This meant, shops should not open, people should not go to work, and there must be a mass stayaway.
In mobilising for the shutdown, the EFF told businesses on loud hailers to shut their doors or risk being looted. That is class EFF fearmongering.
This stoked widespread fear in many communities reeling from the trauma of the July 2021 unrest, where unorganised protest morphed into deadly mayhem.
Police were out in their numbers, 3 000-plus soldiers were deployed, private security was visible, and community policing forums gathered in anticipation of violent mass protests.
What came of the shutdown was a series of sporadic protests in city centres across the city, not spanning a few thousand protesters.
Little economic activity
Some businesses closed, fearing being looted by EFF protesters, not in solidarity with Malema's call.
And there was much less economic activity around the country by virtue of it being the Monday before a public holiday. Schools were closed anyway.
There was also no coherence about what the EFF was protesting against or where the marches were meant to head to.
In Joburg, a group marched from Alexandra to Sandton and then to Eskom.
No awe, just anxiety
In Pretoria, Malema led supporters from Church Square, past the Union Buildings and then to the estate that houses Ramaphosa's official residence, Mahlampa Ndlopfu.
Groups of EFF supporters here and there tried to shut businesses, but none of the action delivered a stunning political message that a shutdown of this nature ought to have delivered.
There was no awe at the EFF's mobilisation effort. There was no widespread sympathy for their cause even with mounting disillusionment in Ramaphosa's leadership or growing frustration at load shedding.
The EFF's shutdown was a failure because, by the end of the day, all it did was cause public panic and anxiety.
It was an exercise in bad politics, and South Africa saw through it.
- Qaanitah Hunter is the assistant editor of politics and opinions.
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