'He has expressed himself internally': Malema on Ndlozi's stance regarding Shivambu exit

EFF leader Julius Malema has defended his relationship with red berets MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

EFF co-founder Floyd Shivambu's recent departure from the party raised questions about the stability of the EFF's leadership.

Ndlozi, who has not publicly spoken about the state of the party's leadership since Shivambu's exit, was in the spotlight last month when Malema spoke harshly of silent EFF leaders in their times of trouble. 

“Our relationship has always been an organisational and political relationship and it remains like that. I've not seen anything untoward because even in parliament where we meet the most, we're working together. We meet almost every Monday, especially now with the preparations of the (elective conference).

“He's there, he is given tasks, he executes those to the best of his ability. Nothing has suggested that there should be some sour relations between me and Ndlozi,” Malema said in an interview with SABC.

During his address at the party's Gauteng provincial ground forces forum last month, Malema made remarks about party members who have not defended the party publicly.

“A leader of the EFF who is well known, very popular on social media, television, radio and everywhere else, the EFF gets under attack; these leaders do not say anything because they don't know where they stand.

“There is a practical way to find out where they stand. Just go and look at where their relatives and spouses stand. You will know those closest to them are speaking on their behalf because they whispered into their ears,” Malema said.

Many people on social media speculated Malema was speaking about Ndlozi, as his partner Mmabatho Montsho had apparently liked Shivambu's announcement on Instagram about leaving the EFF.

Malema said public perceptions often misalign with the reality within the party.

“When we speak in the political event, people will always try to align the messaging with certain individuals, meaning they will try to give it a face even if there is no face and then try to drive a wedge. And where you find the weak leadership, they go separate ways,” he explained.

Malema maintained some members of the EFF have not vocally defended the party as it experiences tough times.

“There are leaders who, in the EFF, and they know themselves, and for the sake of the unity of organisation, we shouldn't be speaking about their names, have kept quiet.”

Defending Ndlozi's commitment to the party, Malema said the EFF MP has spoken up for the organisation, albeit not always in public forums.

“He has said something unless you’re saying he didn’t say it to you, the media people. I've never heard him being asked about that. He has expressed himself about this matter. He has expressed himself internally in the organisation, and he writes his own history. Everybody writes his own history,” said Malema.

“He has been at occasions where the organisation ought to be defended; he has defended the organisation. I've not heard him say anything about the issue of Floyd, but the constitution does not say [anything about defending the party when Floyd leaves]. Internally and externally, the organisation has to be defended both privately and in public. So if he has chosen not to say anything on Floyd, it doesn't mean he has not defended the organisation where he gets an opportunity, which he does very well in parliament. He defends the integrity and the image of the EFF.”

Malema reaffirmed the need to defend the party against potential infiltration and dissent.

“The bad thing with the constitution of the EFF, and like any other constitution, it doesn't deal with the period of infiltration. What happens when the organisation faces infiltration? The organisation has its own president. And the good thing with our president is that he's a founder of this organisation, and where there is an absence of constitutional provision on how to deal with this, the president must intervene, and the president will intervene,” he said.

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