Browsing by Author "Nikelo, Sabelisiwe"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Economic freedom fighters: understanding their approach to race
    (University of the Western Cape, 2024) Nikelo, Sabelisiwe
    In the South African context, race plays a central role in its past and present, due to South Africa's history of colonialism and Apartheid. Non-racialism became a constitutional ideal in post-apartheid South Africa and remains enshrined within the South African Constitution. Yet race continues to play a central role in shaping socio-political experiences. In recent years, the South African political arena has become imbued with the use of race, especially to garner support from the electorate, leading to the development of a racialised political rhetoric. In this context, this study explores the Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) approach to race within the context of the South African political landscape. Using Critical Race theory, this study investigates the EFF’s rhetoric to uncover the themes and strategies used in their approach to race. Founded in 2013, the EFF diverges from the African National Congress’s (ANC) vision of non-racialism by addressing race explicitly in its pursuit of socio-economic justice, which has resulted in many labelling the organisation as divisive and racist due to its racialised political rhetoric. It does this through a qualitative analysis of secondary data collection of sources: party statements, manifestos, and public speeches, interviews, books, book chapter’s newspaper articles, journal articles, speeches, YouTube videos, video, internet sources. The study analyses how the party’s racialised political rhetoric may influence the racial dynamics and contribute to the polarisation of South Africa both racially and politically, that has reliance on identity politics. The findings reveal that the EFF’s approach to race prioritises black South Africans' interests, rejects liberal non-racialism, and promotes a shared racial identity and collective action, using race as a rallying point and policy lens; while this mobilises support, it also risks deepening societal polarisation, which could destabilise social cohesion if not carefully managed. The study shows that the EFF’s approach is simultaneously critical, transformative and destructive. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of how political parties use elements of populism ideals to leverage identity politics, shedding light on the complexities of race in contemporary South African politics.