The Economic Freedom Fighters has demanded a public apology from ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula over statements it says are defamatory.
The party has accused Mbalula of falsely linking it to anti-immigration actions and door-to-door campaigns targeting foreign nationals.
The dispute follows remarks Mbalula made during an ANC media briefing on Thursday, 2 July 2026.
At the briefing, Mbalula spoke about lawlessness, violence and anti-immigration tensions in South Africa.
He then claimed that the EFF had been “knocking on people’s doors telling foreigners to go, outside the law.”
The EFF has strongly rejected the claim. It says the statement is false, damaging and politically motivated.
Lawyers Send Urgent Letter
The EFF’s lawyers, England Slabbert Attorneys Inc, sent Mbalula an urgent letter of demand.
The letter is dated Friday, 3 July 2026.
It was signed by attorney Angelike Charalambous.
In the letter, the EFF argues that Mbalula’s statement creates a false impression that the party supported or took part in unlawful anti-immigration protests.
The party says this damages its reputation and places its members in danger.
It also says the comments misrepresent its political position on foreign nationals and African migrants.
According to the EFF, Mbalula’s remarks were not only inaccurate.
They were also serious enough to require a public retraction.
EFF Denies Door-to-Door Campaigns
The EFF has denied organising, supporting or taking part in door-to-door campaigns aimed at intimidating foreign nationals.
The party says such conduct would go against its Pan-Africanist values.
It also argues that it has consistently opposed xenophobia and what leader Julius Malema has described as Afrophobia.
The EFF says South Africa’s social and economic problems should not be blamed on African migrants.
Instead, it says unemployment, inequality, corruption and weak state systems are the real causes of public frustration.
The party has also rejected attempts to link it to recent anti-immigration movements.
48-Hour Deadline for Mbalula
The EFF has given Mbalula 48 hours to publicly retract his statement.
The party wants him to issue a video apology.
It also wants the apology shared on all his social media platforms, including Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram.
The EFF says the apology must clearly state that the allegations were untrue and defamatory.
If Mbalula does not comply, the party says it will proceed with legal action.
That legal action could include a damages claim and a punitive costs order.
This means the political dispute could now move from public statements to the courts.
Political Tension Over Immigration
The fallout comes during a tense period in South Africa’s immigration debate.
Recent anti-immigration marches and protests have placed foreign nationals, political parties and government officials under the spotlight.
Some groups have demanded that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country.
However, government officials have warned against vigilantism and unlawful removals.
Mbalula has also spoken strongly against people taking the law into their own hands.
He has said South Africa cannot allow citizens or political movements to replace the state in immigration enforcement.
However, the EFF says Mbalula crossed the line when he directly linked the party to unlawful conduct.
EFF Says Claims Put Members at Risk
The EFF believes Mbalula’s comments could expose its members to public anger.
The party argues that accusing it of intimidating foreign nationals could make people see it as part of the problem.
It says this is dangerous in a highly charged political climate.
The EFF also says the remarks poison public debate and criminalise a party that has openly opposed xenophobic violence.
According to the party, it supports lawful immigration enforcement.
However, it says that position must not be confused with support for intimidation or vigilante action.
Dispute Over 2022 Oversight Visits
The EFF has also rejected attempts to connect the current anti-immigration climate to its 2022 visits to restaurants and businesses.
At the time, Julius Malema led oversight visits to check labour practices.
The party said those visits were meant to assess whether employers were complying with labour laws.
It also said the focus was on exploitation, fair working conditions and the employment of both South African and foreign workers.
The EFF now says linking those visits to current anti-immigration protests is unfair and misleading.
It calls that argument political revisionism.
ANC and EFF Clash Again
This latest dispute adds to growing tensions between the ANC and EFF ahead of the local government elections.
The EFF has accused Mbalula of acting in bad faith.
It believes his comments were meant to damage the party’s public image.
The ANC, meanwhile, has been speaking strongly against lawlessness and anti-immigration vigilantism.
Mbalula has argued that public concerns about undocumented migration are real.
However, he has also said those concerns must be handled through the law.
Now the EFF wants him to prove that point by retracting what it calls a false accusation.
Legal Battle Looms
The next move now rests with Mbalula.
If he apologises, the dispute may end with a public retraction. If he refuses, the EFF says it is ready to take the matter further.
That could turn the political war of words into a legal battle. For now, the EFF has made its position clear. It wants an apology. It wants a retraction.
And it wants Mbalula to acknowledge that the statements linking the party to unlawful anti-immigration activity were defamatory.
As South Africa continues to debate immigration, this case shows how quickly political statements can become legal disputes.
It also shows how sensitive the issue has become ahead of the elections.