His refusal to countenance any accommodation with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) or with Julius Malema is thought to have tipped delegates in his favour...

On 26 June the party's leader Julius Malema told supporters that in Gauteng: 'The ANC is at its weakest at this point and it's a small window and if the EFF does not take full advantage of this weak state we will never get it again...

In the virtual absence of the once-powerful ANC Youth League which has been administered by a task GROUP since 2018 the urbane and smart Lamola is an attractive proposition for ANC middle-class youth who have not already abandoned the party for Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters...

But this could split the ANC with the RET wing joining forces with the Economic Freedom Fighters of Julius Malema...

By his own admission populist EFF leader Julius Malema voted to prevent the ANC from winning control to bolster his position as king-maker in hung councils – even if it meant voting for the DA or ActionSA both political foes...

That independence has been threatened by political forces including Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters and members of the ANC's RET faction who have been demanding greater political control over the institution...

Aside from a steady stream of provocative tweets such as one endorsing a call from EFF leader Julius Malema that South Africa should 'let the white economy collapse' Masina has strong support within ANC branches in Ekurhuleni where he has made liberal use of the municipal fund for community and poverty alleviation projects...

Of the three breakaways from the ANC since the first post-apartheid elections in 1994 three have fizzled while the EFF of Julius Malema commands just 44 of the 400 seats in Parliament...