Vuyani Pambo
MP
Member of the National Assembly
Assumed office
22 May 2019
National Spokesperson of the Economic Freedom Fighters
In office
February 2020 – February 2022
Serving with Delisile Ngwenya
PresidentJulius Malema
Preceded byMbuyiseni Ndlozi
Succeeded byLeigh-Ann Mathys
Sinawo Tambo
Personal details
Born (1989-08-12) 12 August 1989
Diepkloof, Soweto
Transvaal, South Africa
Political partyEconomic Freedom Fighters
EducationSt David's Marist, Inanda
Alma materUniversity of the Witwatersrand

Vuyani Pambo (born 12 August 1989) is a South African politician and former student activist. He has represented the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the National Assembly since May 2019 and serves as the head of the EFF presidency. He rose to political prominence as a leader of the Fees Must Fall movement at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he was the head of the EFF Student Command. A member of the EFF Central Command since December 2019, he also served as the party's national spokesperson between February 2020 and February 2022.

Early life and education

Pambo was born in 1989 in Diepkloof, Soweto, where he was raised by a single mother.[1][2] He attended St David's Marist on a scholarship.[3] At the University of the Witwatersrand, he completed a Bachelor's degree in African literature and international relations before embarking on a Bachelor of Laws.[1]

EFF Student Command

Pambo became politically active through the Black Consciousness Movement and, as a law student at Wits, was attracted to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) because of its support for land redistribution.[1] He became the inaugural chairperson of the Wits branch of the EFF Students Command (EFFSC) when it was launched in 2013.[4] The following year, he and 11 other EFF members occupied the office of Adam Habib, the Wits vice-chancellor, as part of a protest demanding the EFFSC's registration as an official student society.[5][6]

In his capacity as Wits EFFSC chairperson, Pambo was involved in the launch of the Fees Must Fall protest at Wits in October 2015.[7][8] He remained a pivotal figure in the movement, including when it was rekindled in 2016.[9][10] The Mail & Guardian described Pambo and Mcebo Dlamini as "populist leaders", dependent on "well-worn revolutionary sloganeering and confrontational antics",[11] and political commentator Justice Malala later criticised Pambo for propagating "the politics of spectacle and destruction" in the students' movement.[12] Pambo's role in the protests is captured in two documentary films: Aryan Kaganof's Decolonising Wits and Rehad Desai's Everything Must Fall.[13][14]

National Assembly

In March 2019, the EFF announced that it had nominated Pambo as candidate for election to the Parliament of South Africa.[15] He was ranked 31st on the EFF's national party list – one place behind fellow Fees Must Fall activist Naledi Chirwa.[16] Pambo, then serving as the party's elections coordinator, won a seat in the National Assembly in the May 2019 election.[17] In addition, in December 2019, he was elected to a five-year term on the party's 40-member Central Command Team.[18]

After the party's next plenum in Centurion in February 2020, Pambo was appointed as the national spokesperson of the EFF, replacing longstanding incumbent Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.[19][20] He served in that position alongside Delisile Ngwenya.[21] In February 2022, he and Ngwenya were replaced by Leigh-Ann Mathys and Sinawo Tambo; Pambo became head of the office of the EFF presidency under EFF leader Julius Malema.[22]

In November 2021, Malema said that Pambo would face internal disciplinary action after he missed the deadline to declare his financial interests to Parliament.[23]

Personal life

According to Pambo, he is fluent in most of South Africa's 11 official languages.[3] He was hijacked in Diepkloof in June 2022.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tiwane, Bonginkosi (29 April 2014). "Students today, leaders tomorrow: young political activists". Sowetan. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  2. ↑ Tsewu, Siya (23 September 2021). "The EFF's Vuyani Pambo on politics, his religious upbringing and why he led #FeesMustFall". Drum. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 Cele, S’thembile (30 October 2016). "Walking tall". News24. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Zwane, Thuletho (20 September 2013). "EFF triggers PYA exodus". Wits Vuvuzela. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  5. ↑ Stone, Setumo (3 April 2014). "EFF supporters occupy office of Wits vice-chancellor". Business Day. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Stone, Setumo (4 April 2014). "EFF students' occupation of Wits vice-chancellor's office comes to an end". Business Day. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Zwane, Thuletho (22 October 2015). "#FeesMustFall and the greater struggle of racism". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Education in crisis, says ex-SRC man". Cape Times. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Pather, Raeesa (5 April 2016). "Wits #FeesMustFall: A movement divided". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Whittles, Govan (14 October 2016). "Police hunt down student leaders". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Whittles, Govan (20 October 2016). "The rise and fall of Nompendulo Mkhatshwa, the Wits SRC president". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  12. ↑ Malala, Justice (27 February 2020). "The politics of destruction". Business Day. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  13. ↑ Sosibo, Kwanele (25 June 2015). "Decolonising Wits: Politics of the toyi-toyi on-screen". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Moloko, Gopolang (11 March 2019). "Why EFF activist Vuyani Pambo took to the Safta stage". The Citizen. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  15. ↑ "#FeesMustFall activists set for parliament as they make EFF's list". Sunday Times. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Dali Mpofu could be heading for parliament as he takes third slot on EFF list". Business Day. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  17. ↑ "Everything you need to know about the EFF's new spokespeople, Vuyani Pambo & Delisile Ngwenya". Sunday Times. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  18. ↑ Cele, S’thembile (15 December 2019). "EFF elects 40-member central command team". City Press. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  19. ↑ Khumalo, Junior; Nyathi, Madisa (9 February 2020). "EFF conference fallout: Malema's 'strategy is to frustrate people until they resign'". City Press. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  20. ↑ Baloyi, Thabo (7 February 2020). "Ndlozi's end: Vuyani Pambo could be the new EFF spokesperson". The South African. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  21. ↑ Nyathi, Mandisa (24 February 2020). "We triggered black people's consciences – new EFF spokesperson Delisiwe Ngwenya". City Press. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  22. ↑ Mahlati, Zintle (10 February 2022). "EFF aims to grow its membership by 1 million in 2022". News24. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  23. ↑ "EFF to discipline spokesperson Vuyani Pambo for missing Parly deadline". IOL. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  24. ↑ Khumalo, Juniour (28 June 2022). "EFF's Vuyani Pambo hijacked and robbed of ID, passport, personal belongings". News24. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
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