The EFF’s move appears to be part of a wider strategy to curtail Ndlozi’s participation in party activities.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) founder member and MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has allegedly been barred from the party’s national elective conference with reports that the position for a deputy president has already been decided
The red berets much anticipated national people’s assembly is scheduled for 13–15 December at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
A new leadership will be elected and there will be jockeying for the deputy presidency of the party, a position left vacant by Floyd Shivambu who joined former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP).
EFF mass exodus
EFF leader Julius Malema’s embattled party has been hit with a leadership exodus, with big names, including Shivambu, Mzwanele Manyi, Busisiwe Mkhwebane and Dali Mpofu, crossing over to Zuma’s MK party, with more departures rumored.
The move to bar Ndlozi appears to be part of a wider strategy to curtail his participation in the red berets activities.
While former secretary Godrich Gardee is favoured by the party hierarchy to fill the deputy president position, Ndlozi was a favourite of the younger and more rebellious EFF members who were lobbying for him to avail himself.
ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘I can’t be threatened by Zuma, he’s inviting me for a fight’ – Malema
Ndlozi banned
However, despite Ndlozi not availing himself for deputy president, the EFF leadership is not leaving anything to chance and has thus barred him from attending, according to the City Press.
The paper reports that insiders claimed this week that Ndlozi’s physical presence at the conference posed a serious threat for the leadership, who believed that he was “just playing politics so that he can contest”.
Speculation began swirling that Ndlozi may have been suspended from the party as he had not attended key EFF meetings in the past two weeks and that the EFF leadership had not been honest regarding Ndlozi’s continuous silence.
“It is clear that Ndlozi has been banned from attending the national people’s assembly. We also suspect that he has been suspended, but the party decided to keep it under wraps.”
Ndlozi’s unexplained absence from the party’s activities, including the recent two-day meeting of the central command team (CCT) last week, left them with many questions.
“Attending all these meetings is very important for any leader of the party. But recently he has not attended them, and no word has been uttered about it because when a leader fails to attend, an apology is normally sent,” a source told the paper.
Conference outcome ‘decided’
Sources said the conference outcome had already been decided after Malema retweeted posts by some party members who expressed their desire for certain individuals to be leaders.
When a social media user posted Gardee as the incoming deputy president, Malema retweeted that post, which many believed was an endorsement.
Rumours that Ndlozi had been barred from all party activities spread like wildfire this week with both The City Press and Sunday World reporting on the news.
The explosive news was met with mixed views from the EFF members and followers
Social media user Azania shared her shock on X [formally Twitter]
“Oh wow Dr Ndlozi was indirectly suspended. He is barred from attending EFFs committee meetings or participate in any of the EFFs gathering.”
ALSO READ: Shivambu dismisses question about congratulatory message from Malema [VIDEO]
Ndlozi rejects calls
Last week, there were reports that Ndlozi had rejected the call from various lobby groups to contest for deputy president of the EFF but he was not willing to leave the party.
This came after the red berets former national chairperson, Dali Mpofu, resigned reigniting speculation that Ndlozi could be the next to jump ship.
In a post on X, Malema indicated he was unmoved by Mpofu’s decision to quit the red berets, and anticipates that other senior leaders will soon be leaving.
“Only two more of your [Shivambu’s] favourites remain, and the list will be finalised. They sing beautifully and are always willing to pose for pictures and sign roll calls, but remember, their souls are long gone. We remain standing and are not going anywhere under a criminal syndicate.”
‘Leave the EFF’
This speculation also resulted in Malema launching what many people believed was an attack on Ndlozi a couple of times.
In his address to the Gauteng provincial ground forces forum at the Orlando Community Hall in Soweto after Shivambu left, Malema pulled no punches calling for leaders who were waiting for the third national assembly to leave at once.
Malema was believed to be referring to Ndlozi’s partner Mmabatho Montsho, a well-known activist who had liked Shivambu’s post on Instagram
Shivambu wrote to social media: “The time comes in the life of any nation where there remain only two choices – fight or submit”.’
Joining MK party
However, Malema was scathing.
“How can someone say ‘ the decision to join uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) is the best decision ever taken’ and my wife Manto is the first one to like such a thing, and you say ‘Julius Malema is with us.’
“When the partner likes the things that seek to denounce where the organisation stands, when the relatives, cousins, and siblings declared where they stand; and you still ask yourself ‘where does this leader stand?’ Look at those around him and you’ll know where this leader stands,” Malema said.
Ndlozi’s future
Since Shivambu’s resignation and his decision to join the MK party, speculation about Ndlozi’s future has been circulating, with many believing that he would leave the EFF.
Sources said some leaders suspected Ndlozi of being on his way out but were waiting for the conference to pass next month.
Ndlozi was accused of keeping quiet after the departure of Shivambu.
“They wanted him to attack Shivambu but he has never said anything about it, which angered them. When he did not speak out about Shivambu’s departure to join the MKP, they accused him of selling out.”
Last week Malema said MK party leader Jacob Zuma was inviting him to a fight and he is not scared of the former president.
“I can’t be threatened by Zuma. 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 instrument.”
Ndlozi response
In an interview with politics podcast SMWX host Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh last month, Mpofu said his relationship with Malema was purely political and remains so, he had no regrets about joining MK party and claimed that he “conceptualised” the EFF’s identity, from the party’s name to using titles such as “commissars” and “commander-in-chief” about its leaders.
Shivambu revealed that some EFF leaders knew that he was leaving for the MK Party.
The Citizen contacted Ndlozi and EFF spokesperson, Leigh-Ann Mathys for comment, but there was no response at the time of publishing. The comments will be added into the story once received.
ALSO READ: ‘Let the betrayers leave’ – Niehaus says after Mpofu’s move to MK party
