The Economic Freedom Fighters leader, Julius Malema, has dismissed reports that Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has been barred from attending the party's elective conference, which takes place between 12 and 15 December, at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg. Malema was responding to journalists at a press conference today when asked if Ndlozi was indeed banned from the conference, as reported in the media last week.

SHEBEEN GOSSIP

Malema referred to the reports as shebeen gossip. "I don't know what you are talking about. I don't know what you want me to answer because the EFF has never said anything; if we want to say anything, we will communicate. You don't know what you are talking about.I don't know what you want me to answer about Ndlozi because I never said anything about Ndlozi. We don't respond to gossip," he said. Malema added that the party is never under pressure to respond to gossip or social media posts and that they only respond to their members. "Don't bring your shebeen gossip to me and want me to glorify some toilet discussion. I am not part of that," he said. The EFF leader also touched on his relationship with MK founder and leader Jacob Zuma, saying that they are good. "The same way, me and President Ramaphosa are very good. Me and Zuma are good, but it doesn't stop me from saying he is corrupt." He also said that he or the EFF have no relationship with the MK Party, and even worse now that the party has made it its programme to recruit leaders of the EFF.

WORST FORM OF BETRAYAL

Malema also said that he was betrayed by those he held high in the organisation, as they knew that Floyd Shivambu was leaving the organisation but did not tell him for two weeks. "People knew that Floyd was leaving for weeks and said nothing. That was a turning point for me. They had information that had the potential to destroy the organisation and I must not talk. That's not going to happen. That's disloyalty and they can go to hell," he said. He added that being asked to still be on good terms with such people is like asking him to commit suicide. "When I got expelled, the people I shared a meal with, people I grew up with, I called them to come and start a political party, and they did not come. Don't ask me to travel that path again. I know what disloyalty means. They would have done that to me when I was young but not anymore," he said."You must show loyalty at the most tested moments and people who are not loyal must never be trusted by anyone. They will kill you," he added.