Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has criticised former party member Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi for choosing not to vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Malema made the remarks during a media briefing at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Saturday, 7 November, after Ndlozi revealed that he had abstained from voting.
“You’ll never leave the EFF and sound normal. How do you not vote and think it is normal? Your exaggerated self-importance,” Malema said.
He also questioned how Ndlozi could have considered not voting while working with the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, referring to former president Thabo Mbeki’s role in the struggle for democracy and the right to vote.
Ndlozi explained his decision during an interview on SABC1’s The Daily Thetha with Lungelo KM. He said he was unhappy with what he described as divisions among black South Africans and the growing number of political parties competing for support.
He argued that the fragmentation of political support made it difficult to address challenges such as poverty, unemployment and inequality. He also criticised what he called political party entrepreneurship, saying some individuals were using politics for personal gain.
Malema, however, rejected Ndlozi’s decision to abstain, describing not voting as abnormal and counter-revolutionary. He urged South Africans to participate in elections regardless of which party they support.
“The message must be that we must go out and vote; it doesn’t matter who you vote for,” Malema said.
