- Julius Malema says he isn’t intimidated by former president Jacob Zuma and is ready to face him, as several prominent EFF leaders, including Floyd Shivambu and Dali Mpofu, have left to join Zuma’s MK party.
- Despite the leadership exodus, Malema remains confident in the EFF’s future, attributing some departures to “backstabbers” and dismissing the political relevance of those who left.
- Floyd Shivambu, now MK’s secretary-general, avoided discussing his relationship with Malema, focusing instead on the MK party’s goals and downplaying claims that his position was a reward for recruiting former EFF members.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has expressed confidence amid a wave of leadership departures from his party, with notable figures joining former president Jacob Zuma’s MK party. Speaking candidly on the EFF podcast ahead of the December conference, Malema said he’s unfazed by the shifting loyalties and ready to confront Zuma if necessary. “I can’t be threatened by Zuma,” Malema asserted, recalling how Zuma expelled him from the ANC years ago for controversial remarks about his leadership.
“I can't be threatened by Zuma, no I defeated Zuma, Jacob Zuma thought he buried me, he expelled me from the ANC for comparing him with Thabo Mbeki. for saying there is a regime change which happened in Botswana. I was expelled from the ANC by Zuma and Ramaphosa was used as an… pic.twitter.com/vj3fyqdGnn
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) November 13, 2024
Malema’s EFF has recently experienced a leadership exodus, with senior members like Floyd Shivambu, Mzwanele Manyi, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, and Dali Mpofu moving to the MK party. Malema took the change in stride, acknowledging that other leaders might leave soon. He characterized the exits as a natural shedding of those who “don’t carry any political currency,” remarking that these former members often “stabbed him in the back.”
The tension between Malema and Zuma has amplified, with the former president’s recruitment efforts drawing attention. Malema stated, “He [Zuma] is inviting me back to fight, and I’ll do it with ease. I’m not scared of Zuma or his people. No one will threaten the EFF’s existence.” He also took the opportunity to call out Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, whom he accused of spreading rumors about EFF’s collapse, dismissing him as irrelevant.
Actually, Gayton McKenzie was pushing the narrative that we're dying alongside Andile Mngxitama, and interestingly, the same @GaytonMcK now claims Zuma has achieved what all of us failed to achieve in the past 10 years. I'm like, 'This loser isn't close to us politically,'" EFF… pic.twitter.com/vihUIsE625
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) November 13, 2024
Meanwhile, Floyd Shivambu, now MK party’s new secretary-general, has downplayed his exit’s significance. When asked about Malema, Shivambu redirected the conversation to MK’s agenda, stating, “I’m here to discuss uMkhonto weSizwe, not personal matters.” He also rejected claims that his new role was a reward for facilitating the defection of EFF members to MK, emphasizing instead the MK’s priorities for South African citizens.
As the EFF heads toward its December conference, the political landscape remains uncertain, with both the EFF and MK party poised for further shifts in leadership and alliances.
