Julius Malema Explains Absence During General Shadrack Sibiya’s Testimony, Praises Leigh-Ann Mathys
- Julius Malema explained why he was not present when Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya was grilled by Parliamentarians
- The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) gave praise to Leigh-Ann Mathys, saying she represented the party well during hearings
- The Commander-in-Chief of the Red Berets also joked that the party gained more coloured supporters thanks to Mathys
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – Julius Malema has addressed his absence from Parliament’s Ad Committee hearings during Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya’s appearance.
The Deputy National Commissioner appeared before Parliament in October 2025, as he testified about allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
General Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, alleged that there was evidence of criminality, political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system, claiming that General Sibiya and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu were involved.
Malema, a member of the committee probing the allegations, was not present when Members of Parliament (MPs) grilled General Sibiya, and he was questioned about his absence.
Malema addresses his absence during General Sibiya's appearance
During an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) press briefing on 11 December 2025 in Marshalltown, one reporter asked Malema about his absence.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Red Berets did not hold back in his response, insisting that just because he wasn’t there, it didn’t mean that the EFF was not represented. He pointed to the fact that Leigh-Ann Mathys was representing the party, noting that the Deputy Secretary General proved that she could hold senior officials accountable with her performance during the proceedings.
Malema added that people complained that when he was a member of committees, he wasn't giving others a chance to shine, but then they also complained when he wasn’t present, and the other members were.
Source: Twitter
Malema says more people from the coloured community support the EFF
The EFF leader also joked that the party received a bit more support from the coloured community, as they were also impressed with Mathys.
“I told her she must be a councillor in Eldorado Park because of the way she is so popular with coloureds now,” Malema joked.
He again emphasised that she would not be in the position now if she was not given an opportunity to shine and show the capacity of the EFF when it came to critical matters.
Malema added that no one could doubt her capacity in the Ad Hoc Committee, and therefore, questioning his absence was wrong, as it implied she wasn’t there as well.
“It’s belittling her and downgrading her, and looking down on women and worse, a coloured woman,” he said.
Malema then went back to the actual question about General Sibiya.
“I’m scared of Sibiya. Sibiya is messed up,” he said.
The EFF leader added that he wasn’t sure how Sibiya was going to get out of this situation, saying that he should not have challenged his suspension, because he was now eating into his pension the longer the matter took.
You can view Malema’s full response below.
Malema labels Donald Trump a racist
In the same press briefing, Malema also discussed some of the recent actions taken by the President of the United States of America.
Briefly News reported that the EFF leader claimed that Donald Trump was the new Hitler that the world was facing.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Red Berets also called for a boycott of the G20 if South Africa was not invited.
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Source: Briefly News
