Malema's threats are just 'theatre'

uMkhonto weSizwe party's head of presidency dismisses the EFF leader's ‘white funded’ accusations as an attempt to garner votes

- Lunga Mzangwe

UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) head of presidency Magasela Mzobe has accused Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema of playing to the “theatre of politics” to garner support ahead of next year’s local government elections by accusing Jacob Zuma’s party of being funded by white people.

In a media briefing on Monday, Malema claimed that all the political parties in South Africa, except for the EFF, were white-controlled.

“The truth is that Comrade Julius knows that it is not true. As to why he said [that], I would not speculate,” Mzobe said on Tuesday in response to Malema’s assertion.

“If there’s one party that all white business people have come out openly to say it must be stopped — it’s the MK party. Everyone is trying to get more numbers, especially in preparation for the 2026 local government elections.

“If people know the history of president Jacob Zuma, even when he was a president of South Africa, he is probably the most hated president of this country’s democracy by the white establishment.

“We hold no grudges against Comrade Julius [but] he knows it’s not true, [what he said].”

After former EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu, former national chair Dali Mpufu and other high-profile members defected to the MK party recently, Malema declared it the Red Berets’ biggest enemy, alleging that it was trying to destroy it from within.

The defections stung even more, given that the MK party, just months old at the time, had knocked the EFF from its perch as South Africa’s third largest party in the general elections in May last year.