Malema: “Mandela is no more” as he targets ANC and MK Party at KZN rally

Julius Malema used the Economic Freedom Fighters’ KwaZulu-Natal provincial manifesto rally in Inanda to attack the ANC and the MK Party and to present the EFF as the party of the future ahead of the November 4 local government elections.

Sharp words for ANC and MK Party

Speaking at the rally on Saturday, Malema declared:

“Mandela is no more. You can’t be voting for President Zuma. He’s too old. He’s not the future. The future is you. The future is the EFF. The future is your children.”

He questioned whether the MK Party could provide stable municipal leadership, pointing to recent changes within the party, and said voters should not support it because it did not represent the future. “We cannot vote for MKP because it’s not the future. The future is what is standing before us here,” he said. He also described the party as “dead” and accused its leaders of fighting among themselves: “MKP is dead before it was born. They are killing each other. They are destroying each other. They are expelling each other.”

ANC candidate disputes criticised

Malema also criticised the ANC as it dealt with disputes over candidates omitted from final IEC lists. The ANC has been seeking reinstatement of 181 candidates after the Electoral Court dismissed its bid to allow them to contest the elections; the affected candidates are in six municipalities because the party failed to submit their names to the IEC by the deadline.

On the ANC’s situation, Malema said: “It is dying a natural death. Why would you join a sinking ship? It is dying, and the only organisation rising is the EFF.” He linked his criticism of the ANC to the legacy of Nelson Mandela, saying the party should be treated in the same way apartheid was defeated.

MK Party turmoil noted

The MK Party has faced an internal dispute over candidate lists. Former president and party leader Jacob Zuma ordered an investigation into alleged irregularities, removed eThekwini mayoral candidate Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi from the position, and the party disbanded its Presidential Task Team. The MK Party later named Apostle Mxolisi Phakathi as its replacement for the eThekwini mayoral position, while Hlophe-Mkhwanazi remains at the top of the party’s proportional-representation list for the metro.

EFF local government priorities

Malema outlined issues the EFF says it wants to tackle in local government, including water and sanitation, jobs, education, housing and social grants. He raised concerns about water problems in Inanda and the sewerage system in eThekwini, saying sewage needed to be properly managed so it did not flow into the sea and that a cleaner beach could attract visitors and support the local economy.

He said young people with qualifications should access jobs without belonging to a political party and that employment should be based on a person’s qualifications and South African ID rather than political connections. He also said the EFF would not take away Sassa grants and argued elderly grant recipients should not have to pay for municipal water and electricity.

Malema’s education proposals included free university registration for students who attended no-fee schools and free Wi-Fi at university residences, in townships and in rural areas. “Free Wi-Fi means access to Internet, and access to Internet is access to information,” he said. He also called for greater transparency in RDP house allocations, saying beneficiary lists should be available online and at municipal offices, and that houses should provide privacy, flushing toilets and access to water.

Election-day appeal

With the November 4 vote approaching, Malema urged supporters not to drink alcohol before casting their ballots and to make a sober decision.