Julius Malema Takes Aim At Mbuyiseni Ndlozi Over Election Boycott “You'll Never Leave EFF And Sound Normal"

EFF leader Julius Malema has launched a scathing attack on former party MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi after he revealed that he did not vote in the 2026 local government elections.

Ndlozi was among the South Africans who stayed away from the ballot box, arguing that divisions within the black electorate had weakened the value of voting. His remarks, made during a television interview, have sparked debate, with Malema strongly rejecting his former colleague's position.

“I am very unhappy with the conduct of black people in South Africa. I don’t understand why we have accepted being so itemised. We won’t achieve everything. The amount of division… You can’t act if you are divided,” Ndlozi said, criticising political parties for allegedly prioritising their own interests.

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Malema responded during a media briefing following the 2026 election results, questioning how someone who had been part of the EFF could regard not voting as an acceptable choice.

Malema Calls Ndlozi's Decision Not To Vote 'Counter-Revolutionary'

The EFF leader did not hold back when addressing Ndlozi's decision to abstain from the elections, accusing him of having an exaggerated sense of self-importance.

“You will never leave the EFF and sound normal. How do you not vote and think it is normal? Your over-exaggerated self-importance,” Malema said.

He also brought Ndlozi's association with the Thabo Mbeki Foundation into the discussion, questioning how he could explain his decision to the former president.

Malema argued that Mbeki and members of his family had made significant sacrifices in the struggle for liberation, including the fight for democratic voting rights.

“How do you say to Thabo Mbeki; ‘I am thinking of not voting’? A man who almost died for you to vote. A man who lost his child for you to vote. A man whose father nearly died in prison for you to vote. A man whose mother led village women into liberation, and you come here to say all of those efforts are useless because you are thinking of not voting. And then you actually do it and not vote.

“Not voting is abnormal, it is counter-revolutionary. You can’t associate with such people.”

Malema Says Even An Angry Mbeki Still Went To Vote

Malema further argued that political disagreements should never become a reason for citizens to abandon the democratic process.

He pointed to Mbeki's own voting history, saying the former president continued to participate in elections even when he was unhappy with ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

The EFF leader insisted that people should exercise their right to vote regardless of their frustrations with political parties or individual leaders.

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“You go around claiming to be intelligent and don’t appreciate the importance of voting? I will vote for the EFF, even if I am the only one.

“The message must be that we must go out and vote; it doesn’t matter who you vote for.”

Ndlozi's Remarks Ignite Debate Over The Black Vote

Ndlozi's comments centred on what he described as growing fragmentation among black South Africans, arguing that political divisions made it difficult to achieve common goals.

He questioned why voters had become so divided and suggested that political parties were more concerned with advancing their own interests than working towards broader collective objectives.

His decision not to vote has now drawn criticism from Malema, who believes participation in elections remains essential even when voters are dissatisfied with the political choices available to them.

The exchange has placed the spotlight on a wider debate about political participation, voter disillusionment and whether abstaining from elections can be an effective way of expressing dissatisfaction.