A study of collective subjectivity and political representation within the Economic Freedom Fighters in the North West province
Date
2016
Authors
Essop, Tasneem
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Abstract
The emergence of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) as a new and ‘radical’
political party significantly altered the shape of the political landscape in South
Africa. As one of the starting points in this paper, I show how the EFF comes out of a
history in the ANCYL before turning attention to public discussions on the
organisation. These contemporary debates about the EFF have taken numerous forms,
oftentimes in deeply polarised ways - from those who argue that the EFF is
pejoratively populist or fascist to arguments that the party is a crucial left alternative.
Within the context of these debates, this research paper grapples with the question of
the political character of the EFF, ultimately arguing that the EFF is populist. I use,
however, a framework for populism set out by Ernesto Laclau thus marking a break
with most discussions on the EFF that are often theoretically limited. This research
works with both the empirical and the theoretical – in doing this I utilise Michael
Burawoy’s ‘extended case method’ to ground the discussion and to provide a method
that encompasses the field research – I used semi-structured interviews and
participant observation – with a theoretical inquiry. This research is based on the
Marikana Branch of the EFF, in the North West Province.
In using data from respondents, a number of conclusions about the EFF in Marikana
are drawn out around the membership base of the EFF, organisational structures, the
relations with other organisations as well as the class, gender and age substance of the
party. These conclusions partly stand on their own in building an understanding of the
EFF. They are also used in a central discussion around populism in the EFF and the
building of a collective political subjectivity that is premised on the popular. In this
way, this research works on two interlinked levels that feed into answering questions
around the EFF as a new political formation. In line with Burawoy’s method that is
used throughout this research, I also outline some of the key limitations of using
Laclau’s theory of populism in understanding the EFF and how we move from these
limitations through the work presented around the Marikana Branch.
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities,
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Arts in Political Studies, 2016
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Citation
Essop, Tasneem (2016) A study of collective subjectivity and political representation within the Economic Freedom Fighters in the North West province, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, < http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/21883>