A critical study of the political identity and ideology of the Economic Freedom Fighters

Abstract

This thesis is a critical engagement with the political identity and ideology of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) as a political formation in post-apartheid South Africa. Using the concept of ‘thin ideologies’ developed by Freeden (1998) and other theorists, I argue that the party’s ideology, as a populist formation, is thin. Its thinness enables the EFF to subscribe to multiple and often contradictory ideologies at once. The thesis demonstrates how these multiple ideologies find expression within and are articulated by the party. Based on its subscription to many ideologies, I contend that the party is, ideologically speaking, promiscuous. In other words, the thesis argues that the party, like other populist formations, is a political chameleon with a unique ability to subscribe to different political identities, ideologies and thoughts at any time to serve the interests of the party. Furthermore, I highlight the fact that despite proclaiming itself as a movement of economic freedom, the party has no clear coherent programme to bring about this freedom that it promises. Put differently, beyond the nice sounding slogans that the party is known for, its proposals are contradictory and not so largely different from what is already offered by other political parties, particularly the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC). Like a typical populist political formation, the EFF thrives politically by exploiting and capitalizing on the ANC’s weaknesses and political failures. Similar to many populist formations, the EFF exploits these by amplifying and articulating these failures as constituting a political crisis. A crisis in which only the EFF, as a supposed people’s party, can solve. Unlike most studies that have highlighted the performative and theatrical nature of the EFF’s populism, the thesis focuses on the political identity and the political ideology aspect of the party.