13/04/2026
MEDIA STATEMENT IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE CIC OF THE EFF, Julius Sello Malema
The Independent Health and Allied Workers Union stands firmly behind Julius Malema during this critical moment, recognising that what he faces is not isolated, but follows a well-established pattern in South Africa’s history where voices that challenge economic injustice and speak for the Black majority are subjected to sustained persecution.
This pattern is not new. Leaders of the Black Consciousness Movement, such as Steve Biko, were harassed, banned, imprisoned, and ultimately silenced because they mobilised Black people towards psychological and economic liberation. Today, the methods may differ in form, but the objective remains the same, to neutralise those who threaten entrenched power.
The Economic Freedom Fighters has, since its formation, carried forward this tradition of confronting inequality head-on. In 2020, declared by the EFF as the Year of Public Health, the organisation elevated the struggles of healthcare workers and exposed the deep crisis within public health institutions. Through oversight visits, protests, and community mobilisation, the realities of staff shortages, collapsing infrastructure, and unsafe working conditions were brought to the forefront, giving both workers and communities a platform that had long been denied.
The EFF has consistently stood with student nurses and young professionals fighting for access and fair treatment. It has supported community service workers facing systemic exclusion and uncertainty. It has been visible in struggles involving security personnel, cleaning staff and EPWP workers who continue to endure exploitation and precarious labour conditions. Through its Labour Desk, the EFF has intervened in numerous cases of workplace injustice, defending workers against unfair dismissal and abuse.
What distinguishes this movement is not theory, but presence. Communities and workers know that even when they do not vote for the EFF, when crisis strikes, the organisation shows up.
As IHAWU, we are equally concerned about the broader attack on independent labour formations. Across the country, unions and worker-led movements that refuse to be co-opted are increasingly marginalised, undermined, or targeted. This reflects a systemic mode of operation designed to weaken organised labour and silence voices that advocate for genuine economic transformation and Black excellence in both political and activist spaces.
The targeting of Julius Malema must therefore be understood within this broader context. When leaders articulate uncomfortable truths about land, wealth, and inequality, they inevitably become targets. When independent unions organise outside of dominant power structures, they too face resistance.
These attacks send a dangerous message to young South Africans. They suggest that those who choose the path of activism or political leadership, especially in defence of the poor and working class, must be prepared to face isolation, persecution, and systematic pushback. This risks discouraging a new generation of leaders from standing up, speaking out, and participating in shaping the future of this country.
South Africa cannot afford a future where young people are silenced before they even begin. A democracy must nurture, not intimidate, those who seek to lead and challenge injustice.
We reject this pattern.
We assert that the struggle for workers’ rights, dignity, and economic justice cannot be separated from the struggle to protect bold and uncompromising leadership.
We stand with Julius Malema not out of blind loyalty, but because his work continues to inspire and reinforce the daily struggles of workers and communities we represent.
An injury to one is an injury to all.
ENDS
Issued by:
IHAWU - Independent Health and Allied Workers Union
Contacts:
Lerato Mthunzi 0658230082
Rich Sicina 0606821672
info@ihawu.org.za
A united, militant and democratic front of healthcare and allied workers, fearlessly defending the dignity, rights and wellbeing of those who serve at the heart of our health and social development department.
