Expelled former African National Congress (ANC) Youth League leader Julius Malema launched his protest movement, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), on Thursday. He also introduced the members of the movement in Mpumalanga, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal who would be coordinating its regional affairs.

Addressing a media conference at Constitution Hill, Malema said that the movement was a radical left, anti-imperialist and anti-corruption movement with an international outlook that would anchor the struggles of the people. Malema said the EFF was “not an organisation of angry people”, referring to ANC breakaway party Congress of the People, but rather a party with a different plan.

Although the ANC had ushered in an era of freedom and democracy in South Africa, the EFF was launched with the aspiration to carry out more tangible political emancipation, which it claims the ruling party has failed dismally to implement.

“Our organisation is the brainchild of the current struggle, and we will ensure that we continue the ANC’s historical mission,” commented EFF regional coordinator Mpho Rakatsa.

“We are unique, we’ve got the will and we are not materially driven,” added Malema.

“We don’t want to be worshippers of an individual because we are not personality driven, we are driven by a strong will, and we are not scared of anything,” he said.

He claimed the EFF was changing the political climate, where the belief is that it is a “cold and hard world outside the ANC structures”.The ANC died out with the [Thabo] Mbeki administration.  There is no ANC, it is now the ‘ZANC’  – the [Jacob] Zuma African National Congress – which is littered with corruption and administrational irregularities,” he lamented.

He further added that the problem lay in the blurred boundaries within the spheres of government, which meant that organisations operated on the same level as their leader, who could not be reprimanded, and constantly abused power and the rights of the people.

The vanguard movement, with only 31 days on its feet, strongly embraced and advocated the values and principles of human dignity, equality and reconciliation. Its key tenets are the expropriation of land without compensation; the provision of free education, health and housing; the nationalisation of mines without compensation; and the complete opposition of a corrupt government.

Meanwhile, the movement acknowledged that it was still in the establishment stage and said that the major decision on whether it would declare itself a political party in order to contest the 2014 election, was not to be taken “haphazardly”. Instead, it said further discussions would be held at its National Assembly, which is expected to take place on July 26 to 27, in Soweto.