‘We’re not scared of him’: MK Party hits back at Malema

UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party secretary-general Sbonelo Nomvalo says Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema should focus on his party and stop

This, after Malema took a swipe at the MK Party during the EFF manifesto launch in Inanda, north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend.

WHAT DID JULIUS MALEMA SAY ABOUT THE MK PARTY?

During his address, Malema criticised the MK Party’s leadership changes and internal disputes, arguing that the party would not provide stable local government.

“MKP is dead before it was born, they are killing each other, they are destroying each other, they’re expelling each other. If you elect them as a mayor on the 4th [November], on the 5th bazomxosha lo mayor [they would fire the mayor]. So, how are we going to have a municipality where you’re not sure whether the mayor would still be mayor the following day?” he said.

The MK Party has undergone several leadership changes ahead of the local government elections.

Malema contrasted the MK Party’s leadership changes with what he described as stability within the EFF.

“Only the EFF is clear, Marshall Dlamini was a secretary from the NPA [elective conference in 2024] and is still the secretary till today. How many secretary-generals did MK have? It’s less than three years but it has had more than 15 secretary-generals [sic] that is a sign of disorganisation,” he said.

“You cannot vote for disorganisation, you must vote for organisation. The EFF is the only organisation that is organised in the whole of South Africa.”

LGE 2026 | EFF leader Julius Malema has taken a swipe at the MK Party, accusing it of being disorganised and clueless about what it is doing. Malema was speaking at the EFF’s manifesto launch at JL Dube Stadium in Inanda, north of Durban, today. pic.twitter.com/9N7sw6Fi45

— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 19, 2026

ZUMA-LED PARTY RESPONDS

In response, MK Party secretary-general Sbonelo Novamlo said Malema should stop insulting the MK Party in his speeches and urged him to focus on the EFF in his manifesto and not the Zuma-led party.

“If he is inviting us to a battlefield we are going to accept that invitation,” Nomvalo said.

“We will never allow anyone to attack our leader, Jacob Zuma. We will die for President Zuma. If you want to attack someone, attack us not the old man.” 🗣️ Sbonelo Nomvalo pic.twitter.com/MK9K3kMG3S

— Durban Network (@Durbannetwork) September 21, 2026