Julius Malema Slams Helen Zille Over Apartheid Past and BMW Campaign Stunts

EFF leader Julius Malema has criticised Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate Helen Zille over her anti-apartheid credentials and recent campaign activities ahead of South Africa’s 4 November 2026 municipal elections.

During an interview with SABC News, Malema questioned Zille’s claims of having participated in the struggle against apartheid. He also accused the media of giving her excessive attention for her BMW-related campaign stunts while overlooking the community work of the EFF’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng.

The exchange comes as political parties intensify their campaigns, with Johannesburg emerging as a key battleground in the upcoming municipal elections.

According to NewsDay, Malema dismissed Zille’s claims of having fought against apartheid, arguing that her work as a journalist should not be equated with revolutionary activism.

“Helen Zille has a history of racism. She’s not a revolutionary. She likes saying she fought in the struggle. She didn’t fight,” Malema said during the interview.

Zille has a documented history of reporting on apartheid-era abuses. In 1977, while working for the Rand Daily Mail, she investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko in police detention.

Her reporting helped expose evidence that Biko had been assaulted by security police before his death. Zille also worked with the pro-democracy organisation Black Sash during the 1980s.

However, Malema argued that reporting on Biko’s death did not automatically make Zille a revolutionary, drawing a distinction between journalism and direct political activism.

His remarks have brought renewed attention to the contrasting interpretations of Zille’s historical role and her political record as the DA campaigns for support in Johannesburg.

Malema also took aim at Zille’s recent campaign appearances, including her arrival at a DA rally at the Nasrec Expo Centre in an open-top BMW and a campaign video showing her spinning a BMW 325i.

Zille’s use of the luxury vehicle and other attention-grabbing activities has formed part of her public campaign presence ahead of the elections.

Malema questioned whether these stunts offered any meaningful contribution to improving the lives of ordinary South Africans.

“The media is celebrating a person who spins BMWs, and then you think that thing has got anything to do with improving the lives of our people?” he said.

The EFF leader contrasted Zille’s campaign activities with those of his party’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng.

According to Malema, Mofokeng has been involved in grassroots initiatives aimed at helping low-income residents grow vegetables and teaching communities how to use available land productively.

He argued that such initiatives deserved greater media attention because they focused on practical ways of addressing poverty and improving living conditions.

Malema further alleged that Zille’s race played a role in the attention she received from the media.

He suggested that Black politicians undertaking similar campaign activities would not receive the same level of coverage, accusing media organisations of applying different standards when reporting on political figures.

His comments form part of the wider political contest between the EFF and the DA as both parties seek support in Johannesburg ahead of the 4 November municipal elections.

While Zille’s campaign activities have attracted public attention, Malema has used the opportunity to highlight what he considers the difference between political spectacle and community-focused work.

The dispute also places the candidates’ competing approaches under scrutiny as voters prepare to elect their local representatives.

Julius Malema Slams Helen Zille Over Apartheid Past and Campaign Stunts – Briefly.co.za

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