Ngobese-Zuma Hits Back at Malema on Election

The March and March Movement leader says parties that criticised her movement over undocumented immigration were punished at the polls.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Elections

Ngobese-Zuma Hits Back at Malema on Election

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Should South African politicians prioritize concerns about undocumented immigration?

Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, who leads the March and March Movement, responded to criticism from Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters over her movement's influence on South Africa's 2026 local government election results. In remarks shared on social media, she argued that parties that dismissed her supporters' concerns about undocumented immigration paid a price at the ballot box.

Why it matters

The exchange highlights how undocumented immigration has become a contested electoral issue in South Africa following the 2026 local government elections. It also shows the public rivalry between smaller movements and established opposition parties as they interpret the election outcome.

South Africa held its Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026. The source does not provide vote counts or polling figures to verify the claimed electoral impact of the March and March Movement.

The players

Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma

Ngobese-Zuma leads the March and March Movement, a group that takes a stance on undocumented immigration in South Africa.

Julius Malema

Malema leads the Economic Freedom Fighters, a leftist opposition party in South Africa known for its confrontational political style.

The details

Ngobese-Zuma responded to Malema's criticism of her movement's influence on the election results. She questioned the positions Malema took during the campaign and argued that parties dismissing March and March supporters' concerns had suffered electorally.

4 November 2026: South Africa's Local Government Elections were held.
8 November 2026: Ngobese-Zuma's response to Malema was published.

Political Context

The dispute reflects the counter-arguments raised by opposition figures against movements focused on undocumented immigration, with Malema's criticism representing one side of that pushback. Ngobese-Zuma's response frames the same electoral outcome as a rebuke to parties that dismissed those concerns.

For South African voters, the dispute signals that immigration policy positions by smaller movements may carry electoral weight in local contests. Readers following municipal politics should watch how established parties respond to such movements in future campaigns.

The takeaway

Electoral debates over undocumented immigration are likely to remain central in South African politics, and parties will need to address them directly rather than dismiss them. Voters can track how these positions are reflected in future municipal and national contests.