AS THE EFF reels from yet another major political blow following the abrupt resignation of Mbuyiseni Ndlozi as its Member of Parliament (MP), there was widespread speculation that his next step would be to ditch the party altogether.
Ndlozi resigned as an MP on Wednesday but retained his membership with the party.
This was amid his strained relationship with party leader Julius Malema, his one-time close ally turned nemesis, and other senior Red Berets' leaders, who are in Malema’s corner.
In a statement yesterday (Thursday), the EFF said: "The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has received the voluntary resignations of Fighter Yazini Tetyana and Fighter Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi as representatives of the EFF in the Parliament of South Africa.”
The Daily News reported recently that Ndlozi was on the verge of dumping the EFF in favour of the Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which is understood to have been courting him for some time.
The Daily News understands from several senior sources in the EFF that Ndlozi was plotting an exit from the EFF.
However, according to the informants, he wants his departure to be a “dignified” one, similar to that of former EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu, who defected to the MKP in August.
Before leaving the EFF, Shivambu held a joint press conference with Malema, where he announced his move to the MKP.
“Ndlozi also wants something like that. But I don’t see that happening due to his fractured relationship with the CIC (Malema). I can tell you now that these guys, who once were very close, are not on speaking terms. I don’t think Malema will afford the same respect to Ndlozi as he did with Shivambu,” said an EFF senior source, who spoke strictly on condition of anonymity.
A party leader in KZN said he fears that if Ndlozi dumped the already limping EFF, the party will fare poorly at the upcoming local government elections in 2026.
“Ndlozi is loved by many EFF people, especially young people. He is a draw card for us in terms of recruiting the youth. If he leaves the party, I can tell you now, we will suffer at the local elections next year. I hope that they (Ndlozi and Malema) can iron out issues before it is too late.”
The glaring animosity between Ndlozi and Malema was evident during the party’s elective conference in December, dubbed the National People’s Assembly (NPA), where Ndlozi was quietly barred from attending.
This was the first occasion that Ndlozi did not attend the party’s NPA since the EFF's formation in 2013.
Ndlozi, who is the former spokesperson of the EFF, was deployed as one of its MPs following the 2014 national general election after the red-clad party, contested elections for the first time, raked in 25 seats in the National Assembly.
Several EFF bigwigs have recently switched allegiances in favour of the MKP. Among them was its former national chairperson, advocate Dali Mpofu and former MP and erstwhile public protector, Advocate Busisise Mkhebane. Other rank-and-file members have also followed suit.
Ndlozi did not answer his phone or respond to the messages sent to him yesterday following his resignation announcement.
EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys did not respond to messages sent to her.
While speculation suggests that Ndlozi was likely to join Shivambu in the MKP, the spokesperson of the party, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, has repeatedly said he was unaware of such a possibility.
Durban-based political analyst Thobani Zikalala said: “The EFF political project has reached its political ceiling and almost lost its credence. Of course, people have given the party some intellectual credence with their participation in Parliament, and they were the founding members of the party.”
He added: “If anything has to go with how he has been treated (by Malema) in the past six months since Shivambu left the party, I don’t think any stay in the party will be good for him. I think their idea of staying in the party, for me, doesn’t bode well for them in terms of their comfortability.”
Zikalala said the EFF, a party that once jealously guarded its unity, is imploding.
“He (Malema) is now at a point where he is a wounded animal, and because of his hegemonic role, he seems to not trust anyone and is dispelling everyone and only bringing closer those he can control. And that makes it difficult for the party to continue to survive going forward,” said Zikalala.
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