‘We've had seven SGs. We don't beg': Zuma on ill-disciplined members
MK Party (MKP) leader Jacob Zuma has taken a firm stance against undisciplined members, emphasising no one is above the party.
Addressing members at Christianenburg Sports Stadium in Clermont, KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma stressed those who deviate from the party's principles will face consequences.
He made reference to the recent removal of Floyd Shivambu as secretary-general after his controversial trip to visit fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi, which the party said it was not consistent with the MKP's constitution.
"This is not an organisation to make money, it is an organisation to liberate South Africa," Zuma said.
"If one of us goes off track, we don't beg them."
The MKP has experienced significant leadership changes, particularly in the secretary-general position. Before Shivambu, the role was held by Sihle Ngubane who was reassigned to parliament as chief whip, then Arthur Zwane who was removed due to mismanagement allegations and Sfiso Maseko, who resigned.
Shivambu joined the MKP after leaving the EFF last year. He was appointed national organiser before being appointed as secretary-general in November. His tenure was also short-lived. The MKP's highest decision-making body announced Shivambu would be redeployed to the National Assembly as an MP.
" We've had seven secretary-generals because we're not here to play games. We don't care how great you are, how loved you are, we don't care. We talk about our party."
Zuma also responded to complaints about leadership decisions.
"There are those who say they want to protest because of one decision we took. This means our party needs work. We will fire anyone who does wrong in the MKP."
TimesLIVE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mail & Guardian
an hour ago
- Mail & Guardian
Transformation Fund draft document lacks clear, outcome-driven goals, BLSA says
Business Leadership South Africa has criticised the recently launched Transformation Fund as being flawed because it was structured around input-based targets instead of clear, outcome-driven goals..(John McCann/M&G) Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has criticised the recently launched Transformation Fund as being flawed because it was structured around input-based targets instead of clear, outcome-driven goals. It said effective efforts should be anchored in measurable objectives that justified the financial commitment required. According to a In 'The fund should use an outcome-based approach by specifying the expected transformation impact in tangible terms, such as the number of businesses it aims to grow, employment targets, or improvements in SME (small and medium enterprises) survival rates,' it said. 'For example, a goal of supporting 5 000 black-owned businesses with a 30% annual growth rate over five years would provide a more practical framework for assessing effectiveness.' Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau published the fund's concept document — which envisages raising R20 billion annually for black enterprise development — in March, with a 28 May deadline for comments. Scrutiny of the draft comes amid tension over the government's Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi, a DA cabinet member, recently President Cyril Ramaphosa has BLSA acknowledged the importance of redressing the structural economic imbalances created by apartheid, and commended the government for establishing the Transformation Fund, but bemoaned the lack of analysis about why previous state-led initiatives such as the National Empowerment Fund and the Small Business Fund had underperformed. 'The paper does not provide a comprehensive overview of these existing funding mechanisms, nor does it justify why a new R100 billion structure is necessary instead of enhancing existing models,' it said in its submission. It also expressed concern about institutional inflation, where new entities are created for the same purpose instead of supporting ongoing programmes, adding that access to funding alone would not resolve the systemic challenges and insufficient mentorship capacity had hampered black empowerment initiatives. 'Without targeted investment in mentorship infrastructure even significant financial allocations may fail to yield desired development outcomes,' it said. Labour union Solidarity and the Free Market Foundation estimate that black empowerment laws have incurred R145 billion to R290 billion in compliance costs since their inception, equivalent to between 2% and 4% of GDP. A report by the two organisations on the cost of broad-based black economic empowerment says the programme has imposed a substantial economic burden on high-intensity sectors such as mining and finance, attributing low employment numbers to racially motivated policies. 'While B-BBEE may have contributed to an increase in black ownership and supported some skills and SME development, those gains are overshadowed by elite capture, limited grassroots impact and persistent inequality,' the report said. BLSA said transformation efforts would improve with more private sector participation in the fund's financial disbursement and oversight. It argued that transformation is already happening in companies' enterprise and supplier development programmes, which have proved to be commercially viable in integrating small businesses. A joint fund management team between government and the private sector would allow businesses to share and 'codify lessons and best practices for the fund's design', the organisation added. 'We recommend that the Transformation Fund be designed with sufficient flexibility to align with existing industry master plans and accommodate the requirements of the fast-growing priority sectors,' it submitted.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
MK Party has had 7 Secretaries-General in under a year - Analysts call it a 'One-Man Show'
Political analysts says the rotation of seven secretary-generals reflects instability and suggests MK Party is Jacob Zuma's project, managed as he wishes. Image: Tumi Pakkies / Independent Newspapers Political analysts have slammed Former President Jacob Zuma's Umkhonto weSizwe (MK Party) as a 'one-man show' after its leader said that the party has had seven secretaries general in under a year. Some were of the view that the party is Zuma's own 'personal project,' which he runs as he wishes. Zuma spoke at the launch of the MKP Youth Branch in Claremont on Monday, reigniting concerns over the party's internal instability, leadership style, and long-term viability. Zuma defended the party's decision to cycle through seven Secretaries-General in under a year. 'We're not here to play games,' he said. 'This is not an organisation to make money, it is an organization to liberate South Africa,' Zuma told supporters. 'If one of us goes off track, we don't beg them.' However, independent political analyst Goodenough Mashego said the turnover in senior leadership is less about discipline and more about Zuma's whims, pointing to a worrying pattern of autocratic control. Speaking to IOL News on Tuesday, Mashego said the repeated removal and replacement of secretary-generals reflects a deeper issue within the party's structure. 'Zuma is the one looking for a certain caliber of secretary-general,' said Mashego. 'It's not the party's membership that determines that. Skills and popularity with members don't matter; what matters is who Zuma wants.' 'If Zuma wants a secretary-general who can't even write the word 'tomorrow,' the MK Party will get one who can't write. If he wants someone who can't read, that's who will be appointed…,' Mashego said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Mashego described the secretary-general as the engine of any political organisation, responsible for managing membership, expanding structures, and coordinating development at provincial, regional, and branch levels. 'When the secretary-general is unstable, the entire party becomes unstable,' he said. 'Most of the people removed from that position weren't even given a chance to prove themselves. Some were removed within two weeks.' 'You can't build a political party on one man's whim,' he added. 'You need vision, a mission, and a democratic mandate. The MK Party, apart from the votes it got in the 2024 general election, has no such mandate. Its leadership was not elected, it was appointed.' Meanwhile, the latest demotion of Floyd Shivambu as the secretary-general for the party has raised eyebrows. Even though the party claimed Shivambu would be deployed to Parliament, IOL News previously reported that his name does not appear on the party's official list of Members of Parliament. This has raised speculation that he may have been quietly removed from the party. Mashego said this again points to the 'undemocratic structure' of the MKP. 'No one in MK's leadership was elected. All were appointed and continue to be shuffled based on Zuma's decisions. That's why it's so easy for the party to move people around,' he said. He argued that MKP is not a political party in the conventional sense. 'I've said many times, that MK is a project. Projects have a start date and an end date,' Mashego said. 'This party exists to reclaim the ANC. If the ANC's leadership in 2027 doesn't suit MK's ambitions, the party won't survive to 2029.' He warned that MKP is likely hoping a figure like Deputy President Paul Mashatile will emerge as ANC leader in 2027, someone they believe might recall President Cyril Ramaphosa, exit the GNU, and realign with MKP. 'That's their way of creeping back into power,' he said. Professor Theo Neethling echoed Mashego's concerns. He said while the MK Party claims to carry forward the liberation legacy of the ANC's former armed wing, the original Umkhonto weSizwe, Zuma's interpretation of democratic principles is troubling. 'Zuma's stance on the Constitution is often ambiguous, if not outright contradictory,' Neethling told IOL News. 'He publicly acknowledges the Constitution's role in protecting democracy and rights, but many of his actions suggest a willingness to sidestep or undermine it - particularly on land reform, corruption, and the rule of law.' Neethling said the MK Party has openly stated it will not hold elective conferences, which is something that sets it apart from even the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), often criticised for being tightly controlled by its leader, Julius Malema. 'Malema is accused of running the EFF like a personal project, but at least the party holds elective conferences. MK Party doesn't... That's extraordinary in a democracy,' said Neethling. Commenting on Shivambu's demotion, he said,'It's becoming clear that MK Party may be the most undemocratic party ever to win parliamentary seats in post-1994 South Africa.' Neethling said Zuma appears to believe in a form of democracy rooted in racial majoritarianism. 'Now that white minority rule is over, he seems to think that the party representing the black majority, according to him, MK Party, should have unchecked power. This raises real concerns about democratic backsliding,' he said. 'Zuma did not hesitate to attack the Constitution in recent years, and that shows clear signs of anti-constitutionalism.' IOL Politics
Mail & Guardian
2 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
Collen Malatji: ANC hates small boy Floyd Shivambu; no one cares about him — and Zuma realised it
ANCYL President Collen Malatji The Malatji made the comments in the wake of suggestions that Shivambu could leave the MK party — where he had brief tenures first as national organiser and then secretary-general. MK leader 'I don't want Floyd in the ANC; I want Julius,' Malatji told the Mail & Guardian in an interview last week, referring to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader 'Floyd is a small boy and no one cares about him. Zuma realised it. There's nobody following Floyd. He can do what he wants; he can form his own party. He hates the ANC and the ANC hates him. We don't want Floyd in the ANC. The person we would welcome is Julius, not Floyd, because Julius has a base.' Malatji dismissed Shivambu as lacking a political support base and known only on social media, adding: 'Even in his village, no one cares about him.' The MK party had planned to redeploy Shivambu to parliament but sources said he declined the offer. 'He's not on the parliamentary list — unless it changes at the last minute,' one source told the Mail & Guardian. Aside from Shivambu's controversial trip to Malawi, where he attended a church service conducted by fugitive from the law Shepherd Bushiri, party members also accused him of being divisive and arrogant. In a speech to the Maanda-Ashu Workers Union of South Africa on Saturday, Shivambu said, since his removal from his MK post, he had had no full-time responsibilities and had spoken to the union's president about doing volunteer work for the organisation across South Africa. Shivambu said the union needed to have a presence in all the regions of KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. At an MK party rally in Durban on Sunday, Zuma castigated party members who had called for Shivambu's reinstatement, threatened to protest against the decision and demanded an explanation from the national high command regarding the move. 'If we realise that one of us has gone astray, we won't beg. There have been seven secretary generals in this party; they are seven now because we are not playing,' Zuma told party supporters. 'Even if you know you are big, you are loved, you're everything, we don't care; we talk about our party. There are people who have been saying they want to protest because we took a certain decision; it means this party is still not fully built the way we want it.' In the interview with the M&G, Malatji described Shivambu as an undisciplined individual who had been expelled from all youth structures of the ANC, his political home before joining the EFF, from which he defected last year. In 2012, Shivambu was suspended by the ANC for three years for misconduct and later followed Malema — who had been expelled by the party — to form the EFF. In the lead-up to May 2024 general elections, Shivambu, who was then still the EFF deputy president, urged all political parties to unite against the ANC and 'unplug' it from all areas. The ANC's support plunged to 40% in the elections, forcing it to form a government of national unity. The EFF also suffered a loss of support, losing its spot as the third largest party in the country to MK. Malatji warned that, if Shivambu were to rejoin the ANC, the party would not survive. 'Floyd has been expelled from YCL [Young Communist League], Sasco [South African Students Congress], Youth League, ANC. He is like that and he's not a disciplined person. He's too arrogant and we don't need him in the ANC,' he said. 'If he comes, he comes, but he's not going to survive in the ANC. We don't want people like him; we want people who are disciplined and not arrogant.'
