The EFF chairperson in Johannesburg became the first casualty of the axe that fell on EFF leaders who have not passed their matric.
EFF City of Joburg councillor and caucus leader Sepetlele Raseruthe was kicked to the kerb after the party discovered that he did not have a matric certificate.
When he was booted out, Raseruthe was on the brink of being deployed as the red berets’ MMC of safety in the City of Johannesburg’s council.
Raseruthe was one of the two red berets leaders nominated by the party to occupy the influential position after new mayor Thapelo Amad of the minority party Al -Jama-ah ascended to the highest office as the city’s executive mayor.
According to EFF’s leaders in the Gauteng and Johannesburg region, Raseruthe’s ambitions were ruined after he failed to produce a matric certificate.
His removal from the job came after EFF president Julius Malema told delegates at one of the party’s plenum the party would send all members who didn’t have matric to further their studies.
He also hinted that he was informed of Raseruthe’s academic challenge and advised his followers not to allow him to be an MMC.
“After I was provided with their names, I said okay but then later I got time to read their profiles. I saw one of them did not have a matric certificate and he wants to be an MMC. I called the EFF leadership and said, ‘this guy can’t be an MMC’.
He’s a good comrade, but this position doesn’t require singing.
“I said we can’t be worse than the ANC. Go back to school if you want to lead the EFF or the country. We’re prepared to govern, but we have never said putting up posters is a qualification for government positions,” said Malema last week.
A leader in Johannesburg told Sunday World that Raseruthe was depressed by Malema’s and the central command team’s decision to deny him the opportunity to serve as MMC.
Raseruthe’s removal was preceded by a letter from EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu in which he encouraged EFF public representatives to go back to school. In the letter we have seen, Shivambu wrote that all EFF public representatives are encouraged to be involved in a formal educational programme registered with accredited institutions.
“Being deployed as a public representative must not be an excuse not to study, and it does not have to be a degree. All EFF public representatives who do not have matric must complete matric and must seek to further their studies,” the letter reads.
He also said the EFF instructed all its public representatives under the age of 50 who did not have matric to register and complete their national senior certificate and provide proof.
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