Veteran musician and former EFF MP Ringo Madlingozi quits dirty game of politics!

Johannesburg – Veteran musician and former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament (MP) Ringo Madlingozi has announced his retirement from politics. The 60-year-old “Ndiyagodola” hitmaker took to his X account on Saturday, 13 July, to reveal his decision, stating that he will now focus on his musical career, a realm where he believes he can truly “heal” through his music.

“I’m no longer active in politics,” Madlingozi wrote. “I will always love my brothers and sisters. My purpose to heal through my music will remain. I will die a fighter.”

Madlingozi’s departure from the political arena marks the end of a chapter that began in May 2019, when he was sworn in as an EFF MP after a long-standing association with the African National Congress (ANC). In a 2020 interview with Power FM, Madlingozi explained his decision to join the EFF, stating that their policies aligned with his own political beliefs.

“The truth that EFF lives with – I resonate with it very well,” he said. “The seven cardinal pillars which the first one is the expropriation of land without compensation. We need that land back so that people can start to live like people. There’s nothing else that can be done in this place without having land. A nation without land is no nation.”

However, Madlingozi’s time in the EFF was not without its challenges. In 2023, he resigned as an EFF MP, sparking speculation about his future in the party. At the time, a blog called PSAFLIVE reported that Madlingozi had left the EFF due to the party’s perceived lack of growth and Julius Malema’s alleged practice of firing MPs.

Madlingozi vehemently denied these claims, taking to social media to defend his loyalty to the EFF and to promote the re-release of his music catalogue on digital platforms.

“Ur journalism is fraud,” he wrote. “Ur lies hide behind ur ‘reliable sources’. Ur wishes can never be mine. What u must write is the re-emergence of all my catalogue on all Digital Platforms for the first time on the 15th of Sept 2023. I’m @EFFSouthAfrica thru & thru. Ur Juno’s r liars [sic].”

The announcement of Madlingozi’s departure from politics comes at a time when he has made significant personal changes in his life. In the past two years, he has embraced a vegan lifestyle and quit alcohol.

“Ringo back then was younger and not knowledgeable about life,” he reflected. “Now I understand that not everything should be taken too seriously, and I should appreciate the smallest things and the positivity of life being on the news that hurt me. But I realised I’ve got a choice to move on. I am aware of every moment. I’ve been drinking and having fun but now to be totally aware, here and now, makes me wonder why I thought there wouldn’t be fun without drinking, but I was telling myself a lie.”

While Madlingozi’s decision to leave politics may surprise some, his focus on his music career is a testament to his passion for his craft. His recent signing with Sony Music Entertainment, which will see 13 albums from his extensive catalogue available on streaming platforms for the first time, is a clear indication of his commitment to his music.

“This is an exciting moment in my career, and I am really looking forward to meeting old fans and new music lovers through the music that I’ve recorded over the past 27 years and the music that’s still to come,” Madlingozi told Zimoja.

As Madlingozi embarks on a new chapter in his life, his departure from the political arena leaves a void in the EFF