EFF leader Julius Malema has launched a scathing attack on ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, branding him as politically immature and accusing him of hastening the ruling party’s collapse in public trust. The remarks came during a tense political climate as parties position themselves ahead of crucial elections.
“If anything, it’s Mbalula who’s destroying the ANC’s last remaining dignity,” Malema declared at a media briefing this week. The fiery critique follows ongoing clashes between the two parties, with Mbalula having previously questioned the EFF’s governance in coalition-run municipalities.
Malema dismissed these criticisms as desperate posturing from a declining party. He pointed to the ANC’s internal divisions, policy failures and corruption scandals as proof of its irreversible decay, arguing that Mbalula’s combative approach only reinforces public disillusionment.
Political observers note the timing is strategic, coming as the ANC attempts to regain footing amid dwindling electoral support. By targeting the outspoken Mbalula – seen as a key ANC communicator – Malema reinforces his narrative that the ruling party cannot reform itself.
The exchange marks a significant escalation in hostilities between South Africa’s two largest opposition forces. With coalition politics becoming increasingly contentious, Malema appears determined to position the EFF as the true alternative to what he calls a “failed ANC experiment.”
As the ANC deliberates its response, the war of words signals a bitter political battle ahead, with Malema framing the 2024 elections as a choice between the EFF’s radical agenda and what he terms the ANC’s “last gasps of irrelevance.” The personal nature of these attacks suggests South Africa’s political arena is entering one of its most confrontational phases yet.
