Julius Malema
By Thabo Mosia
Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, has urged Zimbabweans to pursue job opportunities in their home country rather than competing with South Africans for work. This comes after the Polokwane mayor hired a Zimbabwean engineer, sparking debate on local employment priorities amid high unemployment rates in South Africa.
Malema’s Call for Local Job Prioritisation at Siyabonga Rally
At the Economic Freedom Fighters’ Siyabonga Rally held in Seshego, Polokwane, on Saturday, 16 August 2025, Julius Malema made a strong plea for South Africans to be given first preference in job opportunities. The rally served a dual purpose: to thank voters for the party’s recent by-election victory in Ward 13 and to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the Marikana massacre, where 34 mineworkers lost their lives in a tragic clash with police.
Malema addressed a enthusiastic crowd of supporters, emphasising the need to tackle South Africa’s unemployment crisis, which stands at over 32% nationally, with youth unemployment even higher at around 45%. He pointed to the recent appointment of Kennedy Chihota, a Zimbabwean national, as the Director of Water and Sanitation in the Polokwane Municipality as an example of how local talent is being overlooked.
“We are not saying Zimbabweans should not be given jobs, but they must get jobs from their own municipalities in Harare,” Malema stated clearly. He repeated that Zimbabweans “should have access to employment, but it should be within their own municipalities in Zimbabwe.” This message tied into his broader speech on job creation, industrialisation, and radical economic transformation, themes central to the EFF’s agenda.
The rally celebrated the EFF’s win in the July by-election for Ward 13, where the party secured 57% of the vote compared to the African National Congress’s 39%. Malema expressed optimism about the party’s prospects in the upcoming 2026 local government elections, saying the EFF is ready to win more wards across Limpopo, including in Bela-Bela. “We are ready to win wards in the coming elections in Bela-Bela and everywhere else in Limpopo because we want the EFF to be present in every township, municipality, rural area and it must take over the government in those contested wards.”
Background on the Controversial Appointment in Polokwane
The comments from Malema were prompted by the Polokwane Municipality’s decision to appoint Kennedy Chihota to a key technical role. Chihota, an experienced engineer, was selected based on merit, according to Polokwane Mayor John Mpe. Mpe defended the choice, stressing that the appointment followed a rigorous process focused on skills and qualifications needed to improve water and sanitation services in the area.
However, this has raised concerns among locals and political figures about the impact on South African job seekers. Limpopo Province, where Polokwane is located, faces significant challenges with water infrastructure, including frequent shortages and ageing systems. While Chihota’s expertise in engineering and project management was highlighted as a strength, critics argue that such positions should prioritise citizens to address the province’s unemployment woes.
This incident is not isolated. South Africa has seen ongoing debates about foreign nationals in the workforce, particularly in sectors like engineering, hospitality, and construction. Reports indicate that some municipalities and private companies prefer hiring skilled workers from neighbouring countries due to perceived gaps in local training, but this often leads to tensions. For instance, in recent years, similar appointments in other provinces have sparked protests, with calls for stricter enforcement of labour laws that favour locals unless specialised skills are unavailable domestically.
Malema’s stance marks what some observers see as a nuance in his pan-African views. Historically, he has advocated for African unity, urging Zimbabweans to return home and vote in elections to effect change, even offering support like buses for transport. In 2023, the EFF organised transport for Zimbabweans in South Africa to participate in their home country’s polls, emphasising that true pan-Africanism involves fixing issues at the source rather than relying on migration. Yet, Malema has consistently pushed for South Africans to come first in employment, aligning with his 2022 call to check hiring practices in hospitality venues to ensure locals are prioritised.
EFF’s Firm Stance Against Crime and Corruption
Beyond employment issues, Malema used the rally and a separate address at the EFF’s third central command team meeting in Bela-Bela to reaffirm the party’s independence from criminal influences. The central command team is the EFF’s highest decision-making body between national people’s assemblies.
“We meet under a context where our nation and our people are crippled by fear and confusion, as a result of revelations that criminal syndicates and drug cartels have hijacked our country and destroyed our law enforcement agencies,” Malema said. He highlighted the EFF’s early actions, such as writing to the president about the capture of the National Prosecuting Authority when its head, Advocate Shamila Batohi, raised alarms. Malema claimed the president coerced her into withdrawing her statements, calling it a misuse of language.
In 2024, the EFF proposed a motion in Parliament for an ad-hoc committee to investigate extortion rings plaguing communities, demanding protection fees from businesses and residents. This was rejected by the ANC, DA, and IFP, which control provinces like the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal where extortion is rampant. “Extortionists and criminal syndicates celebrated that day, as their political protection worked in their favour,” Malema noted.
He praised recent revelations by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who exposed links between cartels and politicians, as validation of the EFF’s long-held positions. “Commissars, I begin by reflecting this history to you to show you that the EFF has never been and will never be in the pockets of criminals, and that all these political parties who claim to stand against crime today refused to do so when the EFF gave them the opportunity to do so.”
Malema also criticised the president’s decision to move intelligence under his direct supervision, suggesting it enabled silence on these issues. These points underscore the EFF’s push for accountability, especially in light of rising organised crime that affects everyday South Africans through fear and economic disruption.
Criticism of the National Dialogue as a Waste of Resources
Malema did not hold back on his views about the recent National Dialogue, labelling it a needless expenditure of public funds. He argued that the government is already aware of the challenges facing communities, yet spent millions on an event that achieved little.
“It really did not serve any purpose. If anything, it was saving the egos of certain people, and therefore it was a waste of money. NGOs and people who participated in that preparations suggested that it must be postponed, because they are not ready only to go and embarrass themselves the way they did. We don’t support this convention. We don’t support the national dialogue. We know the demands of our people. We cannot spend R700 million of the money that we don’t have.”
This criticism comes amid broader economic pressures in South Africa, including inflation, load shedding, and service delivery failures. The National Dialogue aimed to address social cohesion and economic recovery post-COVID, but participants, including civil society groups, reported disorganisation and lack of concrete outcomes. Funds allocated could have been redirected to job creation programmes or infrastructure, areas where Limpopo lags behind other provinces.
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