By Thapelo Molefe
EFF leader Julius Malema has reiterated the party’s support for KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, while calling for criminal elements to be rooted out of society and the South African Police Service (SAPS) itself.
Speaking at the EFF’s 12th anniversary celebrations in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, Malema said: “Do not be shaken… should they fire you, you have a position in the EFF!”
He urged Mkhwanazi to stand firm in the face of mounting pressure.
Mkhwanazi recently made headlines after levelling explosive claims against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya.
Mkhwanazi further revealed that 121 cases under investigation were removed from the political killings task team prior to its disbandment.
President Cyril Ramaphosa responded by placing both Mchunu and Sibiya on leave of absence while these damning allegations made Mkhwanazi are being investigated.
An ad hoc portfolio committee, which the EFF is part of, has been established to investigate the claims.
Malema confirmed that the EFF supports the establishment of a parliamentary committee to investigate serious allegations made by Mkhwanazi regarding the existence of criminal syndicates and complicity within SAPS.
He further added that the EFF stands behind Mkhwanazi in his efforts to expose and confront corruption allegations within the police.
“Let us commit here that we will take the baton from Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and fight crime and syndicates which have captured our law enforcement agencies,” Malema told throngs of his supporters.
“Fighters we are Mkhwanazi and Mkhwanazi is us, we support Mkhwanazi. We are not ashamed of General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. We are calling upon more Mkhwanazi’s in the police to come out and fight crime and syndicates that has captured the police, that has captured our country.”
“We will not sit back and allow our country to be controlled by drug syndicates. We say to Mkhwanazi do not be shaken because if they fire you there’s a position for you in the EFF so that we can continue to fight corruption in South Africa.”
EFF members at the 12th birthday celebrations in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. PHOTO: X/EFFSA
Turning to his party’s political plans, Malema set a bold tone for the EFF’s future, announcing that the red berets will contest the 2026 Local Government Elections independently, with a goal of securing outright victories rather than forming coalitions.
“We must not aim for coalitions and instability, because we have seen that they fear an EFF government which will deliver basic services to the people,” Malema told thousands of supporters gathered in Khayelitsha.
“Ours is outright victory.”
Malema instructed all EFF leaders to win their wards, declaring: “You cannot hold your head up high and call yourself a leader of the EFF, but where you lead the EFF is not in government.”
Malema lashed out at the Democratic Alliance (DA), accusing it of being “racist to the core” and deliberately neglecting black and coloured communities in Cape Town.
Malema’s comments come amid growing political contestation in the Western Cape ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
He criticised the DA’s repeated claims that the Western Cape is one of the best-run provinces, arguing that such assertions ignore the dire conditions in townships such as Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, and the Cape Flats.
He alleged that the DA-led provincial government fails to provide adequate housing, sanitation, and basic services in these areas, saying: “The DA hates black and coloured people and only serves the interests of a privileged few … Helen Zille has got the chicken audacity to claim that the DA ‘does more for Khayelitsha than Camps Bay’. It’s a lie. How can a gogo tell a lie at her age.”
“After 1994, hope emerged with democracy but within the Western Cape, the DA’s long-term governance has continued spatial apartheid: townships remain under-serviced, informal settlements continue to grow, and basic infrastructure is not provided.”
Malema also used the occasion to reflect on the EFF’s growth, saying it had evolved into “a political force in the Republic,” with representation in Parliament, across municipalities, and among the youth.
He pointed to Tshwane as an example of EFF leadership in action.
“In Tshwane, we have rescued that city from the rot of the DA and proven that the removal of the DA does not mean the collapse of government. Tshwane is now an example of a clean and efficient city – and that is because of the EFF,” Malema said.
According to the party, more than 100,000 supporters attended the rally, joined by traditional leaders, fraternal organisations, and EFF leaders from countries such as Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The day also featured a cultural celebration, with performances from local artists, including Isibane se Afrika, Zintle Kwaaiman, Mlindo the Vocalist, Lusanda Beja, Big Zulu, Zee Khumalo, Jumbo, and others.
The ceremony concluded with Malema cutting a red-and-black anniversary cake, leading chants of “Amandla!” and “Economic freedom in our lifetime!”
“Let this anniversary not be a celebration of our past alone, but a recommitment to our future,” said.
“A future in which no child goes to bed hungry, no young person is excluded from university because they cannot afford fees, and no grandmother must walk kilometres for a drop of clean water.”
EFF leadership cuts cake at the 12th birthday celebrations in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. PHOTO: X/EFFSA
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