While speculation is still rife as to whether Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi remains a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) following his “voluntary” resignation from his position in the National Assembly, political commentators believe that the writing is on the wall that he will not enjoy his stay or any form of influence within the EFF.
Ndlozi, who resigned on Thursday has spent the past five months, since the departure of Floyd Shivambu to the MKP, in isolation after he was barred from taking part in the recent elective conference of the red berets.
His resignation alongside another MP, Yazini Tetyana has once again set tongues wagging as the party continues to show signs of decline following the recent showing at the elections.
Reacting to Ndlozi’s resignation as an MP, political analyst Thobani Zikalala indicated that Ndlozi’s stay in the party has not been smooth, especially in the past few months as he has been singled out for ridicule by party leader, Julius Malema and other party leaders.
“Dr Ndlozi’s resignation in particular is a matter of an implosion within the EFF with some of the people growing disillusioned with the party and where it stands. The EFF’s political project has reached its political ceiling as is losing its credence with the departure of a leader like Ndlozi.
“Ndlozi had played a meaningful role in the past but his role in the party declined after he tried to contest positions and did not succeed. All of these things make it very difficult for anyone to stay in the EFF,” Zikalala said.
Zikalala said that should Ndlozi and Tetyanadecide to stay, they will not enjoy any form of peace and thus are are better off leaving the party altogether.
“The abuse and humiliation he (Ndlozi) has faced in public will get worse should he decide to stay. This abuse will increase from this moment on. So, I think their idea of staying having withdrawn from Parliament does not bode well for them,” he stated.
The party in their statement said: "The EFF has received the voluntary resignation of Fighter Yazini Tetyana and Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi as representatives of the EFF in the Parliament of South Africa.
"The EFF has accepted the respective voluntary requests to be released from deployment of the two fighters, who have diligently served the organisation in their respective deployments," said the party in a statement.
During the party’s elective conference last month, the party’s secretary-general Marshall Dlamini said they will not reduce the party’s elective conference to an individual, in reference to Ndlozi.
This is after media reports indicated that Ndlozi had been banned from attending all EFF political activities. This included meetings of the party’s War Council, which met weekly as well as its Central Command Team (CCT).
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, political analyst Asanda Ngoasheng said Ndlozi was being pushed out of the EFF and had been on the receiving end of public humiliation for some time.
“Julius Malema himself, has made it a habit for some time to insult and speak negatively about his own political partners. I am not surprised that there has been this type of fallout because he has not been a person who keeps quite when there seem to be rifts,” she said.