Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema is being accused of taking sides in a factional fight within his party.

Last Sunday‚ Malema held a meeting with structures from Mpumalanga in an effort to deal with an impasse between the provincial secretary‚ Alfred Skhosana‚ and chairperson‚ Collen Sedibe.

The meeting led to a unilateral decision by Malema to suspend Skhosana after the party president allegedly claimed that Skhosana “did not have a future in the EFF”.

Dysfunctional provincial structures effectively mean their efforts to increase EFF electoral support in the provincial and general elections next year could be hampered.

An insider said the meeting at the EFF headquarters in Braamfontein was attended by the national leadership‚ provincial leadership and branch members of EFF across Mpumalanga.

“We all got a chance to comment on the tension between the chairperson and secretary and it was divided between those who supported Collen and those who supported Alfred‚” the person said.

He said when Malema spoke he indicated that there was no way Skhosana would “defeat the other faction” in their May conference and further indicated that he was “not capable of leading the EFF”.

“In fact‚ he said the secretary of Mpumalanga has no future in the EFF‚” the source said.

Malema then told party secretary-general Godrich Gardee to effect Skhosana’s suspension “for bringing the party into disrepute”.

The EFF leader from Mpumalanga said this was another example of Malema ruling with an iron fist in the party.

This week‚ Gardee wrote to Skhosana informing him of his suspension. He is also likely to be booted out of the Mpumalanga provincial legislature.

Gardee‚ who is also from Mpumalanga‚ told TimesLIVE that he did not want to comment on the matter.

He said he does not discuss the proceedings of EFF meetings in public.

Gardee however denied that Malema took a unilateral decision saying: “There is nothing called unilateral decisions in the EFF.”

Skhosana confirmed that he was suspended this week. “Yes‚ I got a letter from the secretary-general. I am suspended‚” he said.

He said he was willing to face the party’s disciplinary committee and added that his suspension was linked to the EFF’s factional squabbles.

Skhosana is expected to lose his seat in the provincial legislature as a result.

Malema was not available for comment