EFF STATEMENT ON SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICIAN AWARDS 

28 January, 2017

The EFF rejects the South African Politician Awards and calls on all South Africans to boycott them and their processes. The initiative of the SAPAs is aimed at taking public nominations for several categories to award politicians for the work that they do. Categories for nominations range from things as pathetic as best dresser to politician of the year. Political personalities, from lazy Members of Parliament to corrupt members of cabinet have already lined up for contestations. 

This phenomenon of the SAPAs is deeply dangerous for our democracy and in an environment of politicians who are already egomaniacs. In our country, half the time, politicians go on with their lives in ways that are arrogant, self-centered and self-serving. The SAPAs are thus an addition to general decay and an environment infested with empty egos. 

The values that drive our democracy must be grounded in absolute selflessness. We ought to inculcate the idea that the only award a public representative must have is the mandate of the people and total service of their interests. Politicians are not celebrities and must never lead their affairs as seeking after celebrity status, self promoting and self-celebratory. 

We shall never cheapen the revolution by turning it into a celebrity contest. Activists of the EFF everywhere must never take personal glory for any victories of the revolutionary collective; they must at all times be defined by selflessness and never seeking after any personal glory from the revolution. 

These awards will also inflate the culture of the cult of personality in our country. Politicians will everywhere use media platforms to promote worshipful images of themselves so they can be given awards. 

The only awards politicians must be interested in in a democracy are the elections. We reject the SAPAs and call on all conscious South Africans to boycott them completely.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 29 January 2017