In the race: Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, the former Economic Freedom Fighters spokesperson. Photo: Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images
The battle for the third-highest position in the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has intensified as provinces lobby former party spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi to challenge the sitting secretary general Marshall Dlamini for the post.
Sources from four provinces and the party’s student command told the Mail & Guardian that Ndlozi had begun receiving support from party members who were pushing for Dlamini’s removal after he was given an 18-month suspended sentence for hitting a policeman in the face in 2019.
The sources said removing Dlamini would demonstrate to party members that the EFF needs “upright members in power”.
“Yes, it is true, Ndlozi is going to contest Marshall, and we are aware that the SG is a giant in the party and won’t go down easily but the commander-in-chief [Julius Malema] needs to address the crime issue because he has been charged,” one of the sources said.
The source added that, despite KwaZulu-Natal rallying behind Dlamini, they were confident they could mobilise support for Ndlozi before the party’s conference in December.
This comes although the party supported Dlamini after the Cape Town magistrate’s court’s decision to hand the party’s secretary a suspended sentence for the assault of a police officer in parliament.
Ndlozi enjoys support in Gauteng, Free State, North West and parts of Limpopo and is said to be gaining momentum, with the Eastern Cape also showing interest in his cause.
The former spokesperson has allegedly got the nod from members of the party’s highest decision-making body, the central command team (CCT), to take up the position because of his “charm” and parliamentary experience.
“Ndlozi’s rise is being supported by CCT members who believe he can effectively occupy the SG’s office because he is educated and intelligent,” one CCT member said.
“The secretary general’s office needs someone who can articulate and communicate the party’s position and boost morale, something we have not seen in comrade Dlamini.”
Ndlozi has been an MP since 2014. He is also the head of the party’s political education programme.
During the 29 May elections, Ndlozi was sent to Gauteng to help the Red Berets in their fight for power in the province. He was the “most suitable contender” to go up against the governing ANC’s incumbent, Panyaza Lesufi, and the Democratic Alliance’s Solly Msimanga.
But the party in the province saw a decline in support of 1.07%, dropping from 13.53% in 2019 to 12.46% in this year’s elections.
Another source in Gauteng said that, although Ndlozi had not achieved the expected increase during the elections, he had displayed leadership skills that could be of benefit to the top six leaders’ collective.
“The party is ready for redirection. If the recent elections are anything to go by, there is no time for preferred candidates who have nothing to offer. Foot soldiers are needed if we are to survive the 2026 local government elections and it starts by making strategic decisions like this one,” the source said.
Former president of the party’s student wing, Mpho Morolane, said Ndlozi would resuscitate the EFF’s goal of having one million voters in each province to set the party up for success in the 2026 local government elections and the 2029 general elections.
But Dlamini’s supporters said charm alone would not work for Ndlozi because he did not have enough resources to win the campaign.
“We all love Ndlozi but, when it comes to challenging the SG, he needs more than charm and degrees. It’s more about who is closer to the commander-in-chief, Julius Malema, than who is more educated. The SG is currently stronger than Ndlozi; he has covered more ground and resonates well with everyone across all spheres,” a supporter said.
Dlamini rose to prominence during the party’s second national conference in 2019 after finding favour with Malema for leading successful campaigns throughout KwaZulu-Natal.
He has been credited with increasing the party’s support base in that province from 70 000 in 2014 to more than 300 000 in 2019. But in the 29 May elections the EFF’s share of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal plummeted from 9.96% in 2019 to 2.56%.
Dlamini’s supporters argue there was nothing he or anybody else could have done to stop the rise of Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party, which received more than 45% of the vote in the province.
They blamed the party’s leadership for not sending Dlamini to the province early last year.
The party initially deployed its deputy president Floyd Shivambu, and later redeployed him to the Eastern Cape, after he allegedly failed to find common ground with the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
“Understanding the dynamics of the province, the leadership shouldn’t have deployed [the] deputy president because, even though we don’t like to talk about it, KZN is very tribalistic. Obviously, the people would not accept him, and that can be the reason why we dropped so badly.
“The SG was only deployed in March, which was not enough time to fix the damage,” the source said.
Dlamini’s supporters said although they had wanted him to get the deputy president position, they would vote for him to return as secretary general, adding they were aware Shivambu was a stronger candidate for the deputy position.
They added that they have the required 30% of support needed to win the secretary general position with backing from KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West.
To win a position in the party’s top six, a candidate needs 30% support from delegates. The voting process is done by a show of hands.
The EFF’s spokesperson, Leigh-Ann Mathys, had not responded to questions by the time of publication.