Julius Malema is a man with lavish spending habits and a filthy temper, although his biggest blowouts are usually reserved for when he wants to score cheap political points and the cameras are rolling.

Then there’s the footage from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral last year, where Malema and EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi were involved in a scuffle with a white security guard, which could still land them in hot water.

His latest threat comes from within his own party, though, and you can bet his blood will be boiling as his power is publicly challenged.

Details below from City Press:

EFF leader Julius Malema is facing open rebellion within his party for the first time, after the student wing made it clear that it would oppose his intention to shut it down.

His plan to establish a women’s structure is also being resisted, as is his proposal to impose a leadership slate ahead of the party’s conference in three weeks’ time.

The EFF Student Command has challenged the party leader to a debate, saying he lacks guidance in his decision-making.

The challenge comes after Malema described the structure as “useless” at a press briefing last week.

The formation, which has become a key driver of the EFF’s growth in the wake of the #FeesMustFall campaign, said in response to Malema that the leader’s comments showed he did not know the extent of the influence wielded by the student command on the ground.

There’s only one way to read that – the Student Command are openly declaring that if Malema follows through on his threat to shut them down, there will be repercussions.

On top of this, the party is readying itself for its national elective conference, called the National People’s Assembly, taking place in Johannesburg from December 13 to December 16.

Whereas Malema and the other top brass have always had their decisions ratified by party members, that may not be the case this time around:

City Press has already reported on disquiet in the party about the possibility of the national conference being turned into a mere rubber stamp of a predetermined leadership, which could see Malema and his deputy, Floyd Shivambu, being the only two leaders to be retained out of the current top six…

This has resulted in the formation of two fashionably named EFF factions: the Amapiano and Amatorokisi…

The Amapiano want to challenge the status quo “of the party being run like a company, with a hierarchical structure in which leaders are chosen on behalf of members”.

The Amatorokisi, on the other hand, comprise Malema loyalists who want MP Marshall Dlamini to replace secretary-general Godrich Gardee.

I’m pretty sure I speak for every non-EFF supporter when I say that I would love to see the party tear itself apart from the inside.

We already know about the looting of VBS Bank by the party’s top dogs, but imagine what would emerge if the inner sanctum turned on one another.

Then again, the likes of the Daily Maverick and Sunday Times seem to have all the receipts already, including another damning story yesterday.

Here’s hoping Julius is really feeling the pinch of an internal power struggle.

[source:citypress]