Julius Malema faces backlash after reposting a call to arrest Mazwi Kubheka. Image: Esa Alexander/Reuters
The EFF leader’s repost questioning the credibility of a man whose kidnapping was confirmed by the Gauteng Police Commissioner has drawn widespread condemnation from South Africans. Kubheka spent 30 days blindfolded in captivity, allegedly held by a group that included one South African, two Ethiopians and two Malawian nationals. His sister describes him as shaking, crying and possibly drugged.
Julius Malema reposted a post on X on Saturday evening calling for Mazwi Mpumelelo Kubheka to be arrested for allegedly faking his kidnapping and charged with perjury, fraud and wasteful expenditure of state resources. The repost accumulated 391,000 views and drew immediate and widespread condemnation from South Africans online.
Kubheka had presented himself at the Vosloorus Police Station just hours earlier. His sister Nomhle described him as shaking like a leaf, crying, jumpy and possibly drugged. The Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner had confirmed his kidnapping. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed that those allegedly responsible included one South African and two Ethiopians, with two Malawian nationals allegedly guarding him at a hijacked building where he was held. It was at this point, South Africans noted, that Malema chose to repost a call for Kubheka’s arrest a decision that drew immediate and widespread condemnation across social media.
South Africans on social media noted that Malema had not publicly commented on Kubheka’s disappearance during the 30 days he was missing. Critics pointed out that he did not amplify the #FindMazwi campaign or call for answers during that period. Social media users argued that the repost revealed more about Malema’s political priorities than his public speeches, with many questioning his silence throughout the 30 days Kubheka was missing. Malema had not publicly responded to the criticism of his repost at the time of publication.
What Police Confirmed
Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni confirmed at a media briefing on Saturday that Mazwi Kubheka was kidnapped. According to Mthombeni, Kubheka was allegedly picked up by a motorist near Carnival City in Brakpan and subsequently taken to the Vosloorus Police Station after being released by his captors.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed that the kidnapping involved a combination of South Africans and foreign nationals specifically one South African and two Ethiopians. Two Malawian nationals were allegedly guarding Kubheka at the hijacked building where he was held. Kubheka was blindfolded throughout his captivity and could not fully account for what happened to him or where he was held during the 30 days he was missing. The alleged mastermind is known to Kubheka and police are actively working to locate that individual. No arrestshad been made at the time of publication.
Lesufi confirmed that the syndicate allegedly operates out of hijacked buildings and noted that the case could help unlock other similar crimes.
“This matter is not closed. There are areas that we believe, if we follow up this case, it will assist us to also resolve many other cases that are either similar or of the same nature,” Lesufi said
His Family’s Account
The image of Mazwi Kubheka that emerged from his family’s first moments with him was not the joyful reunion South Africa had hoped for. His sister Nomhle Kubheka described what she saw with devastating clarity.
“He is bad. He is shaking like a leaf, he is jumpy, he cries, he screams, he is angry,” Nomhle said. “We don’t know the extent of the torture that he suffered and we don’t know what they did to him. They probably gave him drugs because he is not himself.”
Another sibling, Delisile Mofokeng, said she would never forget the phone call telling her that her brother had been found.
“I will never forget that phone call that I received from my sister. Our lives changed. My brother is alive. He is currently at the hospital.”
A Nation That Refused to Stay Silent
Kubheka’s return came after one of the most sustained public campaigns South Africa had witnessed around a missing persons case in recent memory. Hundreds of community members, Amabutho, civic organisations and political party representatives marched repeatedly to the Vosloorus Police Station. Workers Day on 1 May 2026 saw Vosloorus effectively shut down. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni were both drawn into the matter. National Crime Intelligence was deployed. ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba visited the police station and refused to leave. The hashtag #FindMazwi trended nationally for weeks.
The Broader Political Context
It is worth noting that ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba has separately alleged that authorities have already identified a potential motive for the kidnapping linked to illegal immigration a topic on which Malema and ActionSA have been in fierce public disagreement for weeks. Malema is also currently threatening legal action against media personality Ngizwe Mchunu, who alleged at an anti-immigration protest that Malema received R60 million from Nigerian drug dealers claims Malema has denied and described as defamatory.
Investigations Continue
Three persons of interest were questioned but not detained. The South African, two Ethiopians and two Malawian nationals allegedly involved in Kubheka’s kidnapping had not been formally arrested and charged at the time of publication. The full circumstances of how he was abducted, where he was held, who orchestrated the kidnapping and what the motive was remain under active investigation.
Mazwi Kubheka is home. But for his family, his community, and South Africa, the full story of what happened to him over those 30 days is only beginning to emerge.
Editors Note The views expressed by members of the public regarding Julius Malema’s repost are those of South Africans online and on the ground and do not represent the editorial position of Mzansi Today Live. All allegations regarding the circumstances of Kubheka’s kidnapping remain under active police investigation. No individuals have been formally charged at the time of publication. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.