Julius Malema says any young person still wearing an ANC T-shirt is either bewitched or forgot to take their medication.
The EFF leader made the comment at his party's Youth Day rally in Pretoria on Tuesday, where thousands of red-clad supporters gathered. He was speaking to a crowd that stretched across the Tshwane showgrounds, with many chanting and waving EFF banners.
"You must be so ashamed when you are young and still wear an ANC t-shirt," Malema said. "We should take you to Moria and have them pray for you because clearly these people have bewitched you."
Moria is the headquarters of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), one of South Africa's largest religious organisations, where thousands go for prayers and blessings. Malema's reference was a jab at the ANC's historical ties to religious institutions.
"There is no sane young person who will wear an ANC t-shirt," he continued. "When you see a young person with an ANC t-shirt, have pity on them. They probably forgot to take their medication, they probably didn't notice that they're in the wrong t-shirt."
The EFF leader claimed the ANC had lost all credibility among young South Africans. He said many now view association with the governing party as embarrassing.
Malema contrasted his party with the ANC, saying the EFF enjoys growing support because it offers hope. "When we walk in public with our EFF t-shirts, we get saluted by people that we don't even know. They say FIGHTER when they see us because we're the hope of the hopeless people of South Africa."
He insisted the EFF best represents the aspirations of black youth and predicted that many young ANC supporters would eventually join his party.
"Every young person in South Africa belongs to the EFF including those who are wearing ANC t-shirts," Malema said. "They belong to the EFF. We're going to take them from the ANC and show them the direction, they're lost."
The rally comes ahead of the upcoming local government elections. Malema urged supporters to register to vote and help the party secure seats in municipalities across the country.
Youth Day in South Africa commemorates the June 16, 1976 Soweto uprising, when thousands of black students protested against the apartheid government's decision to force Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in schools. Police opened fire on the protesters, killing hundreds. The day has since become a symbol of youth resistance and political activism.
Malema, who was expelled from the ANC's youth league in 2012 before forming the EFF in 2013, has long positioned his party as the true heir to the liberation struggle. The EFF has grown from a new party to the third-largest in parliament, winning 10.8% of the vote in the 2024 general election.
Under Malema's leadership, the EFF has built a reputation for radical economic policies — including land expropriation without compensation and nationalisation of mines and banks. These policies appeal to young, black, working-class voters frustrated with slow transformation.
Recent opinion polls suggest the ANC's support among voters under 30 has dropped significantly, with many turning to the EFF or the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party led by former president Jacob Zuma.
The EFF's Youth Day rally is one of several political events held across the country today. The ANC also held its own Youth Day commemoration in Soweto, where party leaders reaffirmed their commitment to youth development.