The EFF says the election of Zohran Mamdani as the new mayor of New York is not only a transformative moment for the people of the city, but also a “powerful signal to the world that progressive, justice-driven leadership is rising even in the heart of the global capitalist order”.
The 34-year-old Mamdani, born on 18 October 1991, defeated Andrew Cuomo, the former governor who was running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary.
Raised in SA
Mamdani become the youngest and first Muslim mayor, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first person born in Africa to lead the city.
He was born and raised in Uganda and South Africa before his parents moved to the US.
He joins a small handful of people born overseas to hold the keys to Gracie Mansion, since New York City threw off its colonial shackles almost two centuries ago.
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‘Capitalist system’
The EFF said Mamdani’s vision of affordable housing, free public transport, accessible healthcare, and city-owned grocery stores demonstrates that “people-centred governance can thrive even within the world’s most powerful capitalist system”.
“The EFF particularly applauds Mamdani’s support for the people of Palestine, a stance that represents a necessary moral awakening within American politics. His victory reflects a growing recognition among ordinary Americans that justice for Palestine is inseparable from global justice.”
Leadership
The EFF said it is confident that Mamdani’s leadership will mark the beginning of progressive global relations and renewed solidarity among Africa, the United States, and the Global South.
“The EFF believes that a new relationship between Africa and the United States must be forged, one free from the neo-colonial arrogance and exploitative interests that have defined past US foreign policy, particularly under the Trump administration.”
Trump
Unabashedly playing the race card, President Donald Trump on Tuesday labelled Mamdani, who would be New York’s first Muslim mayor, as a “Jew hater”.
“Any Jewish person who votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self-professed Jew-hater, is a stupid person!!!” the Republican president posted on his social media platform.
Mamdani
Mamdani, whose victory, which stretches from the gentrified corridors of Brooklyn to the working-class immigrant enclaves of Queens, completed one of the most remarkable political upsets in New York history.
His mother is director Mira Nair, renowned for films including Monsoon Wedding and Mississippi Masala.
Mamdani’s father is well-known Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani, who in the late 1990s tried to spearhead a process of academic transformation at the University of Cape Town, which culminated in his suspension and eventual resignation, according to the Daily Maverick.
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