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ANC’s Mzwandile Masina berated by his own party, while Julius Malema calls him a ‘spoiled brat’

ANC’s Mzwandile Masina berated by his own party, while Julius Malema calls him a ‘spoiled brat’
Queenin Masuabi
By Queenin Masuabi
10 Nov 2022
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ANC Ekurhuleni regional chair Mzwandile Masina’s move to defy the party’s provincial structure has landed him in hot water. The Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee says he has brought the party into disrepute.

The ANC in Gauteng will take action against Ekurhuleni chair Mzwandile Masina. The decision comes after a Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting on Wednesday evening, where the matter was fiercely debated.

Masina is believed to have been at the forefront of launching the vote of no confidence in Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Tania Campbell, despite the provincial structure having decided that the move was premature.

At a media briefing on Thursday afternoon, Gauteng chair Panyaza Lesufi explained that the PEC felt Masina’s actions had undermined their negotiation process with the EFF.

Lesufi said: “The Provincial Working Committee is mandated to take steps following Ekurhuleni regional chair Mzwandile Masina bringing the ANC into disrepute. We will be rectifying what has happened in Ekurhuleni. We are going as the PEC to meet all branches of Ekurhuleni and the leadership.” 




The motion against Campbell, proposed by ANC councillors Khehla Madlala and Dora Mlambo, was brought in October. They criticised Campbell’s leadership and said she was neglecting the townships and only delivering services in the East Rand suburbs.

The EFF at the time also felt the region was jumping the gun and decided to abstain from voting on the motion.

Campbell was booted out two weeks ago but then reinstated at a council sitting on Tuesday. This was after a falling out between the ANC and the red berets which led to the EFF voting, out of spite, for Campbell — along with the DA’s coalition partners. 

“We said, do not put the motion… it put us on the back foot. We cannot allow people who are sitting in the executive of the ANC to do something unconstitutional. We are not going to be compromised by anybody… people act like they did not know there were negotiations,” said ANC provincial secretary TK Nciza.

Malema slams Masina


EFF leader Julius Malema went for the jugular in an interview with Xoli Mngambi on Newzroom Afrika on Thursday morning, where he criticised Masina’s leadership.  

He explained that while the ANC and EFF negotiation teams had agreed that EFF candidate, Nkululeko Dunga, would be elected as mayor, the Ekurhuleni region — led by Masina — reneged on the agreement.



“Mzwandile Masina only knows the region. He behaves like a Bantustan leader. Masina has regional consciousness… he doesn’t have national consciousness. That is why he cannot understand when national and provincial come to an agreement to reach a balance. No hands have ever been raised to elect him at a national level,” Malema said. 

He explained that the agreement had been made on Monday evening and that they were unaware of any last-minute changes. 

“Fikile Mbalula [ANC National Executive Committee member], TK Nciza, Panyaza Lesufi, Floyd Shivambu [EFF deputy president], Marshall Dlamini [EFF secretary-general] met a night before and agreed on Ekurhuleni. 

“An agreement was reached that the EFF will take over the government in Ekurhuleni. 

“No one came to us to say that has changed. What do we see? A man with a bruised ego called Mzwandile Masina nominated a candidate. I called Mbalula and asked him what type of man are you. Who goes around shaking people’s hands without meaning it? It’s cowardice.

“I shake your hand, I mean it. I never shake anybody’s hand if I do not mean it. The problem with the ANC leadership is it lacks credibility. It shakes hands when they don’t mean it.”

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Lesufi’s account of events differs. He claims that by the time he and Nciza wanted to give a directive to their councillors, the Ekurhuleni council sitting was already under way and the ANC had already fielded its own candidate. 

He believes that if Speaker Raymond Dhlamini had afforded the ANC a caucus break, they would have given councillors the required guidance on how to vote. 

The EFF is only willing to work with the ANC if their candidate, Nkululeko Dunga, is voted in as the executive mayor of the metro, failing which, they will not support the governing party in getting rid of Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse.



“Even the ANC, we are willing to talk to them, but we are not going to vote for their motion of confidence now (in Johannesburg). If the ANC wants to talk, they must first go to Ekurhuleni and put the EFF mayor,” said Malema. 

“There is no EFF that will vote for a motion of no confidence in Johannesburg. (ANC Joburg chair) Dada (Morero) will be the shortest (serving) mayor in history because of his dishonest comrades,” he said.

Speaking about the EFF’s relationship with the DA, Malema was clear that their opponents were simply pawns and that Campbell should never think that they support her.

“We never said we cannot negotiate with the DA. They don’t want to talk to us because they think they lost the votes of racists to the Freedom Front [Plus] on the basis that they worked with EFF. 

“But the racists are leaving them, either way,” he said. DM

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