EFF leader rallies young South Africans in Umlazi, denounces MK Party and tribal politics

With the King Zwelithini Stadium painted in bold red and echoes of revolutionary chants filling the Umlazi air, EFF leader Julius Malema seized the Youth Day stage not just to honour the spirit of 1976, but to fire off a political warning: South Africa’s future cannot be led by its past.

Speaking to a crowd of young supporters on Monday, Malema went for the jugular — slamming Jacob Zuma, his newly formed MK Party, and the broader culture of clinging to “old leaders with expired ideas”.

“The old cannot be the future”

Malema didn’t mince words when addressing the crowd. With Zuma’s influence still looming large in KwaZulu-Natal, where the MK Party secured a staggering 45% of the vote in the 2024 elections, Malema urged the youth to “wake up” and question the nostalgia-driven narrative.

“Comrades, you cannot lose power to an old man and say Zuma is the future,” he said. “He never gave us jobs when he had the power. Now he promises land? Why didn’t he do that when he was president?”

The crowd responded with thunderous approval, many waving placards that read “Youth Power, Not Pension Power”.

KZN: Ground zero for the political battle

KwaZulu-Natal has become a battleground of identities, ideologies, and promises. The MK Party, named after the ANC’s former military wing uMkhonto weSizwe, has found strong roots here — but Malema warned against what he calls the dangerous rise of tribalism.

“Our people in KZN are not tribalists,” he declared. “They don’t belong to some old man trying to stir tribal loyalties just to win votes.”

Malema’s shots were personal and political. From labelling MK’s parliamentary members “useless” to calling out Papa Penny as a “clown” in parliament, the EFF leader made it clear: MK Party’s rise is a bubble, not a blueprint.

Youth first, always

The rally, timed deliberately for Youth Day, was more than a swipe at Zuma. It was a call to action for young South Africans.

“The youth at universities cannot allow themselves to be led by the old,” Malema told the crowd. “The old must retire. The new must emerge and take over South Africa.”

From the tone of the speech to the fiery slogans, Malema channeled the legacy of June 16 while warning of a “counter-revolution” if youth allow themselves to be manipulated by political veterans chasing second chances.

A red tide rising

Malema’s message was also inward-looking, aimed at growing the EFF’s base in KZN. Despite the province being a stronghold for Zuma loyalists, Malema insisted: “KZN belongs to the EFF. Every corner must be red.”

He credited EFF members for keeping the party flame alive, even in hostile terrain: “We are not scared of war,” he said, invoking the isiZulu phrase “sizofela empini” — we will die in war.

That militant rhetoric was backed by ideological clarity. Malema again positioned the EFF as the party of the working class: farmworkers, students, petrol attendants, and domestic workers. Defending the EFF, he argued, is defending the “land of our ancestors”.

A global defiance or local desperation?

Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising claim came when Malema turned his sights to tech billionaire Elon Musk and former US President Donald Trump.

“Even Donald Trump is very scared of [the EFF]. Even Elon Musk is scared. Starlink will never work here in South Africa as long as the EFF exists.”

It was a moment met with both laughter and confusion. Some supporters cheered the anti-establishment bravado, while others on social media questioned whether Malema was drifting into conspiracy territory to rally support.

South Africa’s youth unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the world, and disillusionment with mainstream politics is deepening. For many, Malema’s fiery rhetoric resonates. But critics argue that passion alone won’t fill stomachs or reform institutions.

Still, his message was clear: Zuma had his time. MK is a distraction. The future is young, and the struggle is far from over.

As the red berets cleared out of Umlazi Stadium, one thing was certain — Malema is positioning the EFF not just as a political party, but as a generational movement. Whether it gains ground in Zuma’s backyard, however, remains to be seen.

{Source: IOL}

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