Malema’s “Good Boy” Jab at Lamola Reignites ANC-EFF Ideological Divide

EFF leader Julius Malema has stirred controversy by recounting what he described as a humiliating encounter between Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and business tycoon Johann Rupert. Speaking at a recent gathering, Malema claimed Rupert once patted Lamola on the shoulder and remarked, “This one was Malema’s friend, now he is a good boy.”

The anecdote, presented without independent verification, was framed as evidence of Lamola’s ideological shift since their shared ANC Youth League days. Malema expressed dismay that Lamola—alongside other ANC leaders allegedly present, including Khumbudzo Ntshavheni—did not challenge the remark. “Lamola was there, Ntshavheni was there. Even worse,” he added, painting the scene as symbolic of ANC leaders’ deference to white capital.

The story aligns with the EFF’s longstanding narrative that the ANC has abandoned radical economic transformation, instead becoming subservient to corporate interests. Rupert, a frequent target of Malema’s rhetoric, has not commented, nor have Lamola or Ntshavheni addressed the allegation.

Public reaction has split along predictable lines: EFF supporters see the account as validation of ANC capitulation, while critics dismiss it as another of Malema’s theatrical provocations. With elections approaching, the incident—whether factual or embellished—serves Malema’s broader strategy: sharpening contrasts between the EFF’s militant stance and the ANC’s establishment politics.

Beyond the spectacle, the exchange underscores enduring tensions over power, race, and loyalty in South Africa’s political landscape. Malema’s telling may be contested, but its resonance reveals deeper anxieties about who dictates the country’s economic future—and at whose expense.