Lets re visit this doc Guidelines towards the national peoples assembly of the Economic Freedom Fighters: june 2014 A. INTRODUCTION The Economic Freedom Fighters has entered a critical stage in its development, growth and expansion as an economic emancipation movement. As a movement of the people, the EFF should necessarily be amongst the people and should exist in all corners of South Africa. The first phase of the EFFs formation was establishment with the immediate task of contesting the 2014 General elections, and the phase we are entering into now involves building the organization. To do so, guidelines should be provided to all members and structures of the EFF across South Africa so as to ensure that there is standard and consistent form of how the EFF is organised on the ground. Below we present a step-by-step guideline on how EFF Branches should be constituted, and launched in preparation of the regional general assemblies, provincial general assembly and national peoples assembly. Section 24 of the EFF Constitution directs that the CCT shall appoint an Assembly Organising Team which will circulate the National Assemblys information in advance, determine the precise procedure for selection of delegates and indicate how the membership can then ensure their concerns are on the agenda. The guidelines contained here are a result of the Central Command Team decisions based on lessons derived from the first phase of establishing the EFF. As the highest decision making body, the CCT resolved that that these guidelines are supreme and framework on how the organization should be built to respond to the challenges of society. B. KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF THESE GUIDELINES: For purposes of these guidelines, it is important to clarify the meaning of each and every concept, so as to guide members and leaders of the EFF at all levels. BRANCH PEOPLES ASSEMBLY (BPA): Branch Peoples Assembly refers to a properly constituted meeting of the EFF at Ward Level, whose tasks should necessarily include the elections of the Branch Command Team (BCT). This meeting is only attended by paid up members of the EFF in a specific ward and deployees from upper structures of the EFF. 2) BRANCH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (BGA): Branch General Assembly refers to a properly constituted meeting of the EFF, convened by the Branch Command Team, and whose task may include selection/election of delegates to Assemblies of upper structures or discussion of political and organisational matters confronting the area where the Branch is located. Voting in the Branch General Assembly is only limited to members of the EFF in a specific ward. 3) BRANCH COMMAND TEAM (BCT): Branch Command Team refers to a committee, which is elected in a Branch Peoples Assembly by members of the EFF in a specific ward. The BCT should have a 1) Chairperson, 2) Deputy Chairperson, 3) Secretary, 4) Deputy Secretary, 5) Treasurer and 10 Additional Members. 4) WARD COMMAND TEAM (WCT): Ward Command Team refers to an interim committee of 10 members of the EFF whose responsibility is recruitment and mobilisation for the EFF before a Branch Peoples Assembly elects a Branch Command Team. Of the 10 Members, 1 must be a Convenor and the other must be a Coordinator. 5) BRANCH IN GOOD STANDING: A branch in good standing is a ward based branch which has a minimum of 100 members and has gone to a Branch Peoples Assembly with a quorum of 50% + 1 of the membership to elect leadership, adopt and programme of action and meeting regularly to implement the programme of action. 6) REGIONAL PEOPLES ASSEMBLY (RPA): Regional Peoples Assembly refers to a properly constituted meeting of the EFF in a region, which is defined as per the South African governments demarcation of District and/or Metropolitan Municipality. A Regional Peoples Assembly is legitimate only when a minimum of 70% of Wards in a specific region have existing branches in good standing, and its tasks should necessarily include the election of a Regional Command Team. The RPA can also be a platform to make regional nominations for members of the EFF who should serve at a Provincial or Central Command Teams Level. 7) REGIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY (RGA): Regional General Assembly is a properly constituted meeting of the EFF convened to discuss political and policy issues confronting the organization. The RGA can in certain circumstances specified by the Central Command Team, fill vacancies in the RCT caused as a result of resignations, redeployment or election into an upper structure of the EFF of any of its members. The RGA can also be a platform to make regional nominations for members of the EFF who should serve at a Provincial or Central Command Teams Level. 8) REGIONAL COMMAND TEAM (RCT): Regional Command Team refers to an interim or elected committee of 15 members of the EFF whose task is to coordinate work of the EFF in a region they exist in. In the case of an interim RCT, the committee should have a Convenor and Coordinator. In the case of an elected RCT, the committee should have 1) Chairperson, 2) Deputy Chairperson, 3) Secretary, 4) Deputy Secretary, 5) Treasurer and 10 Additional Members. 9) PROVINCIAL PEOPLES ASSEMBLY (PPA): Provincial Peoples Assembly refers to a properly constituted meeting of the EFF in a region, which is defined as per the South African governments demarcation of Provinces. A Provincial Peoples Assembly is legitimate only when a minimum of 70% of Wards in a specific Province have existing branches in good standing, and its tasks should necessarily include the election of a Provincial Command Team. The PPA is constituted by delegates from branches of the EFF in the specific province and representatives of RCTs. 10) PROVINCIAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY (PGA): Provincial General Assembly is a properly constituted meeting of the EFF convened to discuss political and policy issues confronting the organization. The PGA can in certain circumstances specified by the Central Command Team, fill vacancies in the PCT caused as a result of resignations, redeployment or election into an upper structure of the EFF of any of its members. The PGA can also be a platform to make regional nominations for members of the EFF who should serve at Central Command Team Level. 11) PROVINCIAL COMMAND TEAM (PCT): Provincial Command Team refers to an interim or elected committee of 20 members of the EFF whose task is to coordinate work of the EFF in a Province they exist in. In the case of an interim PCT, the committee should have a Convenor and Coordinator. In the case of an elected PCT, the committee should have 1) Chairperson, 2) Deputy Chairperson, 3) Secretary, 4) Deputy Secretary, 5) Treasurer and 15 Additional Members. 12) NATIONAL PEOPLES ASSEMBLY (CPA): The National Peoples Assembly is the highest decision making body and is constituted of delegates from all EFF branches in good standing, delegates from the RCTs and PCTs in a formula decided and communicated by the Central Command Team. The NPA should necessarily elect a Central Command Team constituted by the following portfolios: 1) President, 2) Deputy President, 3) General Secretary, 4) Deputy General Secretary, 5) Central Chairperson, 6) Treasurer and 35 Additional Members. The Central Peoples Assembly is the highest body in terms of policy, political and ideological positions of the EFF. 13) CENTRAL COMMAND TEAM (CCT): Central Command Team is the highest decision making body in between National Peoples Assemblies and oversees the work of the organization as a whole. The CCT performs the tasks given to it by the National Peoples Assembly (NPA), and work towards attainment of the core objectives of the EFF in conjunction with all structures of the EFF. The CCT has the right to give guidance to all structures of the EFF and make interventions where there is distortion and destruction of the organization. C. GUIDELINES ON BRANCH PEOPLES ASSEMBLIES: 1) Regional Command Teams should put in place Ward Command Teams of 10 members of the EFF in all Wards and task them with recruitment of EFF members, and the principle is that 1 Ward should have 1 WCT of 10 paid up members. 2) Ward Command Teams (WCTs) in all wards should drive the programme of recruitment, working with the RCT and receiving members who have joined online and referred to them by the upper structures of the EFF. 3) Each branch of the EFF should be constituted of a minimum of 100 members in a Ward (representative of all areas, sections, phases, voting districts, and villages in all wards) recruited by members of the EFF and all information submitted to the Ward Command Team. 4) The original Membership forms of each branch should be submitted to the regional office for filing and printing of membership cards, while the branch retains copies of all the membership forms of their members, and giving a copy of the membership form to each member who joined before they receive their membership card. 5) Only membership forms with a bank stamp or an attached bank receipt of R10 per membership form will be regarded as a valid membership filled membership of the EFF. 6) Once membership has been confirmed to be a minimum of 100 members in a ward, the Ward Command Team should write a letter to the Regional Command Team asking for a deployee from the RCT or assigned by the Regional Coordinator to preside over their Branch Peoples Assembly (BPA). 7) The Regional Coordinator is the only person who can write letters stating that the RCT has approved the convening of the BPA, and stating the names of the deployees to the BPA should communicate all RCT deployments to the BPAs. 8) Sub-regional Command Teams, PCT and CCT Members who preside over the Branch Peoples Assemblies should have an approval letter from the Regional Co-ordinator to preside over the BPA. 9) The BPA should be constituted by a quorum of 50% + 1 of the total membership of the Branch, meaning that the BPA will only be acknowledged and recognised as legitimate only when half of its members + 1 or more are in the meeting. 10) All members attending the BPA should sign two attendance registers, and write their contact details on both the attendance registers. Members should be reminded that the signatures they used on the membership forms should be similar to the signatures they put on the attendance register. 11) Once a quorum of 50% + 1 has been reached, the deployee from the RCT should preside over the meeting, and present a political overview, which covers the Founding Manifesto of the EFF to all members. 12) After the presentation of the political overview, the RCT deployee should ask for nomination of the Branch Command Team (BCT), whose positions should be Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Treasurer. 13) After the election of the Top 5 positions, the deployee should preside over the nomination and election of 10 additional members. 14) In instances where there is contestation for the Branch Command Team, voting shall be by show of hands. 15) All BCTs of the EFF shall be constituted by a minimum of 50% females, meaning that in a WCT of 15 Members, a minimum of 7 shall be females. 16) After the election, the newly elected Chairperson shall address the BGA on what he/she believe are the immediate tasks to build and grow the EFF in their wards. 17) After the meeting, the RCT deployee shall take the attendance register, and leave the second copy with the newly elected BCT. 18) In the BPA, all members of the Branch shall elect two delegates who will represent the Branch in the upcoming Regional Peoples Assembly (RGA) and Provincial Peoples Assembly, and the Central Peoples Assembly. 19) The two delegates should be gender balanced, meaning that one should be male and one should be female. 20) Depending on the decision of the Branch, the delegations to the Regional, Provincial and Central Peoples Assemblies can be the same people or different people, as long as they are members of the EFF in the ward that is electing delegates. 21) The delegates elected should be clearly designated that they are for which Assembly, and no replacement of delegates will be accepted once their names have been submitted for audit purposes. 22) The names of the delegates elected for each of the Assemblies should be clearly stated in the report presented by the deployees to the Regional Coordinator and a copy retained with the Branch. 23) Branches that have already gone to their Branch Peoples Assemblies, meeting all the requirements of a minimum of 100 members, and having reached a quorum should convene a Branch General Assembly to elect delegates to the Regional, Provincial and Central Peoples Assembly. 24) Institutions of Higher Learning can launch branches and elect delegates to the Regional, Provincial and National Peoples Assemblies, and the requirements stipulated here should be followed. Branches in institutions of Higher Learning should be constituted of both workers (academic, administrative and support) and students in the particular institution of higher learning. D. REGIONAL PEOPLES ASSEMBLY: 1) The Regional Peoples Assembly shall be constituted by delegates from all Branches of the EFF in good standing in a demarcation of a District or Metropolitan Municipality. 2) For RGA to happen, a minimum of 70% of WARDS in the Region should have gone to their Branch General Assemblies, and elected Branch Command Teams, and also elected delegates to the RPA. 3) The Audit on the validity of the BPAs will be conducted by a Team from the Central Command Team, and will strictly monitor and assess whether the BPAs happened within the stipulated period and whether all people whose signatures are on the attendance register attended the BGAs. 4) Once the CCT Audit Team is satisfied that all requirements have been met for the convening of a Regional General Assembly, the National Coordinator shall write a letter to the Province summoning the convening of the Regional General Assembly, which should necessarily be presided by members of the Central Command Team in the presence of the Provincial Command Team. 5) The RGA shall elect its Regional Command Team, which shall include the following: Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Treasurer. 6) The RGA shall elect 10 additional members into the RPA, and a minimum of 7 females shall constitute the total 15 members of the Regional Command Team. 7) In instances where there is contestation, voting shall be by secret ballot in a transparent and open process which should be observed by a minimum of 5 and maximum of 7 delegates to the RPA. 8) The elected Regional Chairperson and Secretary will be members of the Provincial Command Team. E. PROVINCIAL PEOPLES ASSEMBLY: 1) The Provincial Peoples Assembly will be constituted of delegates from branches, who should constitute a minimum of 80% of voting delegates to the Provincial Peoples Assembly; 5 VOTING delegates from each of the elected RCTs, and Members of the PCT. 2) The Provincial Peoples Assembly shall only happen when a minimum of 70% of the total number of wards in a province have launched their branches and they are in good standing. 3) The Convenor of the PCT shall present a comprehensive political report to the PPA and Coordinator shall present a comprehensive organisational report to the PPA, which will be discussed and adopted by the PPA. 4) The Provincial Peoples Assembly shall elect a Provincial Command Team, which should have the following positions: Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Treasurer. 5) The Provincial Peoples Assembly shall elect 16 additional members of the Provincial Command Team (PCT). 6) Overall, a minimum of 50% of the Provincial Command Team shall be females. 7) In the instance where there is contestation of leadership positions in the PCT, a secret ballot will be presented by an Independent Electoral Body, which will ensure free and fair elections. F. NATIONAL PEOPLES ASSEMBLY: 1) The National Peoples Assembly is the highest decision making body of the EFF, and shall be constituted by two voting delegates per Branch, 5 voting delegates per Region, and 20 voting delegates from the elected Provincial Command Teams. 2) The Branch delegates to the National Peoples Assembly shall be elected in duly constituted Branch Peoples Assemblies (BPA) and Branch General Assemblies within a process stipulated above. 3) The National Peoples Assembly shall elect a Central Command Team constituted of the following positions: 1) President, 2) Deputy President, 3) General Secretary, 4) Deputy General Secretary, 5) National Chairperson, 6) Treasurer and 35 Additional Members. The National Peoples Assembly is the highest body in terms of policy, political and ideological positions of the EFF. 4) The National Peoples Assembly shall elect 35 additional members into the Central Command Team. 5) Overall, a minimum of 50% of the Central Command Team shall be females. 6) In the instance where there is contestation of leadership positions in the CCT, a secret ballot will be presented by an Independent Electoral Body, which will ensure free and fair elections. G. KEY DATES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE GUIDELINES: 1) Recruitment and renewal of Membership: Ongoing 2) Branch Peoples Assemblies: 30th June 2014 to 7thSeptember 2014 3) Regional Peoples Assemblies: 22nd August 2014 to 5th October 2014 4) Provincial Peoples Assemblies: 5th October to 30th November 2014 5) National Peoples Assembly: 13th o the 16th of December 2014. 6) Within these dates, RCTs and PCTs shall write to the CCT to request for the National Audit Team to audit branches if they are ready for the respective Assemblies. H. NOMINATIONS FOR THE COMMAND TEAMS 1) All branches have the right through their BPAs and BGAs to discuss the leadership question and nominate individuals they deem suitable for the leadership of the EFF at all levels. 2) Branches retain the right to canvass and be canvassed on their choice of leadership and can together with other branches determine a regional perspective on the leadership question. 3) Regional Peoples and General Assemblies will also develop regional perspectives on the leadership question in a free, fair and democratic environment and practice. 4) The regional perspective is not constitutionally binding on branches, but used as a mechanism to guide and mould regional perspectives and views towards the Provincial and Central Peoples Assemblies. 5) After developing their perspectives, branches and regions are not allowed to make any media comment or statement on their choice of leadership as this has potential to present a polarized organization towards Assemblies 6) Provincial Peoples Assemblies will also in a free, fair and democratic environment and practice facilitated and overseen by the Electoral Commission and decided through ballot in cases of contest. 7) The Provincial Peoples Assemblys positions on leadership is however not constitutionally binding on branches, as they retain the right to canvass and be canvassed based on their branch positions. This reinforces the position that the Assembly of the EFF is a Peoples Assembly, for branches. I. NOMINATION PROCEDURE: 1) Only voting delegates representing branches, regional or provincial command teams have the right to nominate and vote in Provincial Peoples Assemblies. 2) Only voting delegates representing branch, regional, provincial or central command teams have the right to nominate and vote in the central peoples assembly. 3) In nominating for any position, 30% of the voting delegates in a regional, provincial or central peoples assembly should support the name/individual nominated for the name/individual to be included on ballot paper. 4) In instances where there is more than one name qualifying for ballot, the Electoral Commission shall prepare a ballot paper which includes the correct identification of names/individuals nominated for respective positions. 5) All voting for positions in regional, provincial and central peoples assemblies will be by secret ballot and counting of votes shall be manual. J. THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION SHALL: 1) Prepare the ballot papers as directed by the Constitution; 2) Make adequate preparations for voting by secret ballot including the provision of ballot boxes and the setting up of a machinery for effective supervision and counting of votes; 3) Establish further procedures for voting and handle any dispute arising; 4) Announce the results of all ballots; 5) The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission shall verify that the names of all candidates are accurately captured on the ballot paper and sign it off before it can be printed. K. CODE OF CONDUCT AND GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1) The EFFs an organization that is rooted in high discipline and good conduct. It is a movement that appreciates that discipline is a critical and the most important weapon in the struggle for radical economic revolution. Without discipline, the struggle and fight for economic freedom will not succeed. 2) All gatherings of the EFF shall discuss the Founding Manifesto and make reflections of political and ideological questions relevant for that moment. 3) No leader in the EFF shall occupy more than 1 position in various levels of the organization, meaning that no one can be a branch and regional leader at the same time, or regional and provincial leader at the same time or provincial and central leader at the same time. Upon resumption of a position on a different level, whoever is elected looses their previous position in the organization. 4) During this period, no member of the EFF should be suspended or expelled without the knowledge and approval of the CCT, and no structure of the EFF shall be disbanded or dissolved without the knowledge and approval of the CCT. 5) The following should constitute wrongful lobbying practices and unacceptable ways of influencing the leadership election processes: a. Raising and using funds and other resources to campaign for election; b. Distributing money to EFF members and structures as part of campaign for leadership election; c. Production of t-shirts, posters and other paraphernalia to promote a particular list of candidates; d. Promising positions or other incentives or threatening to withhold such, as a means of gaining support; e. Using the media to promote a particular list of candidates and to spread malicious rumours, falsehoods or allegations against those with whom you disagree; f. Leaking confidential information to the media; secret interaction with journalists with the intention to get them to w rite stories on internal organizational issues or communicating internal decisions or processes to the media without due authorization; g. Negative campaigning, which relates, to attacks on the integrity of other comrades both within the structures of the movement and in other forums; Suppressing honest and legitimate debate about the calibre of candidates in formal meetings of the movement; h. Manipulating membership figures or engaging in fraudulent membership recruitment practices; i. Misleading the audit team that Assemblies achieved quorum even when they did not reach quorum. j. Colleting signatures of members from the homes for the purposes of the Branch Peoples Assembly, and presenting a picture that they attended the meeting while they did not. k. Allowing structures or individuals to condone violation of constitutional provisions and/or regulations, and/or failing to report such violations when they occur; l. Using the offices, resources and staff of the EFF or any state institutions or company as a machinery to promote a particular list of candidates; m. Using violence, intimidation and threats to coerce those who hold a different view; n. Setting up structures outside the organisation to promote or lobby for a particular candidate(s); o. Convening meetings to discuss leadership issues under the false pretext that they are organized constitutional structures; p. Production and distribution of documents and pamphlets not approved by the structures of the organisation will not be allowed. q. Using of social networks, such as Facebook, Whatsapp or Twitter will not be allowed. L. CONCLUSION The EFF has entered a critical stage of organisational building and all members should exercise maximum discipline and ensure that all that happens is aimed ultimately attaining economic freedom in our lifetime. Maximum discipline and adherence to this process and guidelines will bear maximum fruits. ISSUED BY THE ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 16:50:44 +0000
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