EFF leader Julius Malema has taken exception to being probed about the absence of central command task team member Mbuyiseni Ndlozi at the party’s third national people’s assembly.
Reports emerged recently that Ndlozi had been barred from attending the red beret’s elective conference due to growing calls for him to be elected to one of the party’s top six leadership positions.
There has been no sighting of the former spokesperson, which led to questions being posed to Malema, which he nipped in the bud.
“We are not going to answer the question on Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. You’ve got his number and some of you talk to him. Call him. I’m not responsible for Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. Ninety percent of the people who are here, who are expected to be here, are here. That’s what matters.
“Whoever is not here, was not supposed to be here, from the beginning. So, you are not going to reduce this organisation to some individual. We are going to refuse that,” Malema said.
Ndlozi came under fire from Malema for failing to publicly defend the organisation when it was “under attack”.
The former party spokesperson has also been accused of being among those who were aware of former EFF deputy president and now MK Party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu’s decision to ditch the red berets for the MK Party and did not inform the party leadership.
Malema refused to let the issue divert attention from the elective conference, taking a swipe at journalists for asking about Ndlozi.
“We are going to refuse that. We gave a very long political report yesterday, like eight pages. It didn’t have such names. You are intellectually so inferior that you can’t even engage with the documents and then you bring gossip,” he said.
He insisted his national people’s assembly will move forward, despite the concern over Ndlozi’s absence.
“Why must we be monitoring movements of individuals? Why the concern about one person over so many people who are here? As if he is the conference. As if he is not here conference will not happen?” It’s going to happen, it’s happening. Without him.
“He’s not here. And it’s not in our interest to entertain such nonsense. Not our interest. We’re dealing with political issues here. Not egoism. Not people who think they are bigger than this organisation. It will show them once again, that it’s bigger than all of them. So, it’s a matter of principle, policy, position. We are no longer trying to answer any nonsense about Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. Never.”
The conference is expected to hear a presentation of the organisational and treasurer’s report, which will be discussed and adopted, after which, there will be a plenary session to deliberate on the party’s constitutional amendments.
After a break, the party’s elective conference will prioritise the election process, starting with the nomination of the top six and voting will soon follow.
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