Julius Malema secures third term as EFF president amid uncertainty surrounding Mbuyiseni Ndlozi's future

Day three of the Economic Freedom Fighters' National People's Assembly saw party leader Julius Malema clinch his third term as EFF president after being elected unopposed by over 2,000 voting delegates. No surprise there.

On Saturday night, 14 December, EFF delegates at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Soweto echoed a resounding "no" when asked by Election Management Chair Terry Tselane if there were further nominations for the position of president. Malema was nominated for the position by a delegate from the Northern Cape.

Godrich Gardee is set to take up the position of deputy president, a seat that has been vacant since Floyd Shivambu, a close ally and co-founder of the party, shockingly defected to the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) earlier this year. Gardee was not elected unopposed, however, as a delegate from Mpumalanga, Ester Molepo, nominated herself for the position but did not meet the threshold.

Godrich Gardee is set to fill the seat of deputy president, which has been vacant since Floyd Shivambu defected to MKP earlier this year. (Image: EFFSouthAfrica/X)

Marshall Dlamini retained his position as secretary general, and Omphile Maotwe remained steadfast in her position as treasurer general.

Newcomers to the top six include Lee-Ann Mathys, originally the party's spokesperson, who was elected deputy secretary general, and Ntando Nolutshungu, who was elected national chairperson.

The EFF's newly elected national chairperson, Nontando Nolutshungu. (Image: EFFSouthAfrica/X)

EFF spokesperson Lee-Ann Mathys is the red berets' new national chairperson. (Image: EFFSouthAfrica/X)

The election of the top six, who all ran unopposed save for the deputy president position, comes as several delegates from KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape were barred from voting after failing to secure over 10% support during the May 2024 National and Provincial Elections in specific wards.

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During a media briefing on Thursday, Secretary General Marshall Dlamini said, "This is not a punitive measure, but a corrective one. It’s a message to our structures that their responsibility lies in serving the community and securing their trust. Delegates from these provinces will attend and contribute to the discussions, but they won’t enjoy the same status as branches that have worked hard and met the required standards."

Even though the EFF claims to be a democratic party governed by the rules of its constitution, a quick read of the 29-page document reveals nothing about the 10% electoral support requirement to participate in the NPA.

Newzroom Afrika reported that each branch of the EFF is meant to have 100 members, meaning at a minimum 100 people should have voted for the EFF in wards in KZN and the Western Cape. The broadcaster added that delegates said that the party was possibly trying to root out individuals who align with the MK party and who allegedly assisted the fledgling party during the 29 May poll.

This is not the first time members of the EFF have been punished for poor performance. In 2023, Malema lashed out at 439 public representatives who failed to provide transport for the party's constituents to attend the EFF 10th anniversary birthday bash at FNB stadium. The representatives, which included four MPs, were banned from attending the celebration.

Ndlozi Out the Door?

EFF MP Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi in Parliament on Friday, 19 July 2024. (Screengrab: Youtube)

A big question on everybody's lips was regarding Mbuyiseni Ndlozi's future in the EFF. This comes after a slew of jabs from Malema and others in the party were fired at the once-party favourite in anticipation of his defection.

While Ndlozi has not spoken on the hostility in his own right, all signs point to Ndlozi being iced out of the red berets—a notion fuelled by his absence from the highly anticipated conference and the party's tone when the subject of Ndlozi came up during media briefings. 

“We are no longer going to answer any nonsense about Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. This matter is closed. You can talk about it yourself, but don’t bring it to us,” Malema responded when asked about Ndlozi during a media briefing on Saturday.

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“We’re dealing with political issues here, not egoism or people who think they’re bigger than this organisation. The EFF will show them once again that it’s bigger than all of them,” Malema continued.

While there were talks of Ndlozi being nominated to oppose Gardee for the deputy president position by Gauteng, Free State, and Eastern Cape delegates, this never happened. City Press reported that the matter was dealt with by members of the leading Central Command Team (CCT).

Ndlozi also failed to clinch a nomination in the new 80-person CCT, the EFF's highest decision-making body that was also elected on Saturday night.

As things stand, the question of Ndlozi's future in the EFF still hangs in the balance, but the under-fire EFF member remains a member of parliament under the EFF—at least for now. DM