Julius Malema Slams ANC As He Pays Tribute to David Mabuza at Funeral

• The president of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, took a swipe at the African National Congress
• He spoke at the funeral of the late former deputy president Davi Mabuza in Mbombela, Mpumalanga
• Malema, while paying tribute to the fallen ANC leader, also criticised the party, and his statements sparked a conversation

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliamentary Proceedings, and politician-related news, as well as elections, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

MBOMBELA, MPUMALANGA — The president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, criticized the African National Congress (ANC) while attending the funeral of the late former president David Mabuza, who died in early July 2025.

What did Malema say about the ANC?

According to eNCA, Malema was one of the political leaders who attended Mabuza's funeral on 12 July. Malema praised Mabuza, affectionately known as DD, as a politician who worked on the ground as a man of the people.

"He was helping people, especially in Mpumalanga. I worked with him when I was the Youth League secretary. We worked very closely and he supported me," he said.

Malema said that Mabuza built a house for the late Winnie Madikizela Mandela's personal assistant. He said the ANC was supposed to build her a house, but rejected and neglected her, but DD remembered her.

DD hoped Malema would return

Malema also noted that Mabuza wanted him to return to the African National Congress. He said that they were hopeful that the ANC would become something else that they knew. He said that the current ANC was not the ANC they knew.

"This is a criminal cartel, an organisation that is there and stealing the resources of the masses of the people," he said.

He said members of the ANC looted and questioned if they did not loot state funds under the guise of the official state funeral Mabuza received.

Malema calls for Mchunu's resignation

Malema also said the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, should be fired from his position as a minister. This was after the Provincial commissioner of the KwaZulu-Natal Police, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, alleged that Mchunu politically interfered in the operations of the police in the province.

Tributes poured in for Mabuza after he died at the age of 64. The Economic Freedom Fighters, the ANC, and President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to him and shared memories of him.

What did South Africans say?

South Africans commenting on eNCA roasted Malema.

Clinton Niemand said:

"Pot calling the kettle black."

Brad Froud said:

"As if that thief wasn't part of the criminal cartel."

Katryn Barnard said:

"And Malema was part of that cartel."

Orapeleng Raps said:

"Taking from experience. How did he manage to build a house that cost millions in Sandton when he was still earning a small salary as the Youth League president?"

Makgorometxa Rakobela said:

"Malema, remember you're a looter yourself."

Julius Malema remembers Mabuza

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Malema shared an emotional tweet in remembrance of Mabuza. He shared the memory days after Mabuza's death was announced.

Malema shared a picture of himself and Mabuza on his X account and captioned it with one word:

"Grootman."

Source: Briefly News