'Be permanent ground forces' – Malema tells new CCT

On Saturday, delegates elected the top six comprising of re-elected secretary general Marshall Dlamini, re-elected treasurer general Omphile Maotwe, former spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys as deputy secretary general, Noluthando Nolutshungu as national chairperson and Godrich Gardee as the new deputy president.

Delegates also elected 60 additional members of the CCT, which is its highest decision-making body in between conferences.

Now that the party is charting a new way forward for the next five years, Malema prepared the newly elected leadership for the task ahead.

"I will not congratulate you, because to be tasked with the responsibility of being the vanguard of the struggle for economic freedom is not a personal achievement, but a calling that demands of you to be selfless, humble and a servant of leadership," he said.

Malema said in the end, no one won the conference but that the EFF won against the wishes and prayers of doomsayers.

"The EFF showed the highest level of discipline and democracy, without any incidents of violence or humiliation of any individual, and our movement once again proved it is bigger than all of us 

 "There were numerous attempts to distract us, there were countless attempts to inspire division, factionalism and disunity ahead of this NPA, and as delegates of the branches of the EFF you resisted the agents of disruption and delivered a successful conference. For this, I thank you," said Malema.

Malema outlined what is required of members of the CCT, some of whom will be serving at the national level for the first time.

"To lead at a national level means that you must have a national consciousness, and a national consciousness can never be developed over five years, it must be something that is organically born within you

"A national consciousness does not mean you ought to have travelled the entire country before you are elected as a Member of the CCT, but it means that you must have a sophisticated understanding of the political and social conditions in our country at all levels

 "As a Commissar, you must not think like a regional leader and always reference your township or your village when we debate and engage on national affairs.

"You must have a strong grasp of ideology, in order to be able to apply the Marxist, Leninist and Fanonian tools of analysis in a practical manner, and to resolve the challenges confronting our people," said Malema.

"Additionally, every CCT member must be an all-rounder who has capacity to organise and mobilise without seeking external assistance.

"The CCT should be composed of commissars who are able to coherently write perspectives and submissions and are able to make presentations on their own writings. 

From now on, a Commissar must be a permanent ground force, defined by humility, and willing to sacrifice everything in service of our struggle.

“Those in the public domain have for more than a decade characterised the EFF as a organisation of an individual, which relies on individuals, and over the past three days, you have proven once again that this movement belongs to the people," said Malema. 

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