‘MKP is dead’: EFF’s Malema takes swipe at Zuma-led party

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has called on voters not to support the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party led by former president Jacob Zuma ahead of the 4 November local government elections.

Malema was speaking at the EFF’s KwaZulu-Natal manifesto launch at the Dr JL Dube Stadium in Inanda, north of Durban, on Saturday, 19 September.

EFF LEADER JULIUS MALEMA QUESTIONS MK PARTY’S STABILITY

Malema criticised the MK Party’s leadership changes and internal disputes, arguing that the party would not provide stable local government.

“MKP is dead before it was born, they are killing each other, they are destroying each other, they’re expelling each other. If you elect them as a mayor on the 4th [November], on the 5th bazomxosha lo mayor [they would fire the mayor]. So, how are we going to have a municipality where you’re not sure whether the mayor would still be mayor the following day?” he said.

The MK Party has undergone several leadership changes ahead of the local government elections.

In March, Sibonelo Nomvalo replaced Bongani Mncwango as secretary-general. The party also made changes to its KwaZulu-Natal leadership and electoral structures.

In June, the party expelled former MP Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and former national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela, citing conduct it said undermined organisational unity and discipline. Both have challenged their expulsions.

In August, the party expelled MPs Pumlani Kubukeli and Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, again citing conduct it said was detrimental to the organisation and its unity. Litchfield-Tshabalala disputed the basis of her expulsion.

The leadership changes continued in August when Zuma announced a restructuring that included the appointment of his son, Duduzane Zuma, as first deputy president, while John Hlophe was removed from the position.

IS THE EFF A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE?

Malema contrasted the MK Party’s leadership changes with what he described as stability within the EFF.

“Only the EFF is clear, Marshall Dlamini was a secretary from the NPA [elective conference in 2024] and is still the secretary till today. How many secretary-generals did MK have? It’s less than three years but it has had more than 15 secretary-generals [sic] that is a sign of disorganisation,” he said.

“You cannot vote for disorganisation, you must vote for organisation. The EFF is the only organisation that is organised in the whole of South Africa.”

Malema also claimed that the EFF had registered councillors across all wards it was contesting.

“We want to organise government the same way we’ve organised the EFF,” he said.

“Not even the ANC can match the EFF.”

South Africa’s liberation party the African National Congress (ANC) could not register all the candidates in all the municipalities it planned to contest including key municipalities in the Eastern Cape which is the party’s stronghold.