People’s Bae: Five fast facts about the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi

Mbuyiseni Quinton Ndlozi is effectively a household name in South Africa. Whether you love or absolutely hate the EFF, everyone has at some point been blown away by Ndlozi’s ability to be successful at so many things. As a result, we thought we would look at five of our favourite facts about the party’s national spokesperson.

An “Everton” boy

Ndlozi was born in 1985 and grew up in the township of Evaton in the Vaal area of Gauteng,

The township is north of Sebokeng in the Emfuleni region of the province.

It was established in 1904. Like other townships in the area, Evaton was affected by the violent unrest which erupted in 1984 and by 1985 a state of emergency was imposed.

Ndlozi was raised by his single mother after his father’s family chased away his grandmother as she attempted to visit them to discuss the matter after his 18-year-old mother fell pregnant.

Shocked into politics

A young Ndlozi was “brought into political consciousness” in 1992 after witnessing his uncle being jailed by the apartheid police force. His uncle was arrested for his involvement in underground activities with the liberation movement.

Ndlozi says the arrest allowed him to understand the “racist, colonial and capitalist” oppression in the country for the first time.

Mastered education since young

December 2017 saw a video of young Ndlozi go full-on viral.

The freedom fighter was still in high school in 2002 and interviewed live on SABC News after winning a nationally renowned communication award.

The one noticeable difference was the career choice.  No mention of studying anything political after school, instead, Counselling Psychology was on the agenda at the time.

“I want to deal with people, especially with the mind, because I am aware that the problem in this word is in the mind. Poverty is a state of mind.”

Of course, as we all know, Ndlozi went on to get multiple degrees and even obtained his PhD in 2017. Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi!

A musical genius?

While it’s safe to label Ndlozi an academic genius, his musical talents simply can’t be overlooked. Aside from his good looks, South Africans tend to forget that his vocal chords played a massive role in Ndlozi obtaining “people’s bae” status.

I mean, this was recorded years ago and we still find it impossible to listen to this and not get goosebumps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEewLeMrgY

A powerful fatherhood decision

After his father’s family turned his back on his mother, Ndlozi revealed recently that he only met his father for the first time as a young man. After meeting him and asking for an explanation, he has explained how he decided that there is no space for his father in his life.

“I could not claim him as my father from a point of view of what fathering is about, he is not. I met him as a young man already, and that was the consequences of his actions. I now had a choice whether to include him in my life or not, and whatever decision I took would be correct, and I could not be victimised for it,” Ndlozi told PowerFM.

“In the entire conversation, I left there grateful. I left there knowing that my mother was enough, she was complete, there was no gap – it was imaginary – and I had to appreciate her. I went back to my mother after the interview, I told her she was enough all on her own.”

Just like his mother, Ndlozi continues to manage multiple jobs with no problem. A politician at his finest.