Floyd Shivambu reveals 'the truth' behind his firing as MK Party Secretary-General
Mashudu Sadike | Published 3 hours ago
Former uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) secretary-general Floyd Shivambu has revealed that his removal from the position was due to a fake intelligence report claiming he wanted to overthrow party leader Jacob Zuma.
Shivambu made the revelation during a media briefing at the Mhulu Hotel in Midrand, Johannesburg, where he also announced plans to consult with South Africans on forming a new political party.
According to Shivambu, the fake intelligence report alleged that he was accumulating supernatural powers to make people disappear and was plotting to dethrone Zuma as party leader.
However, Shivambu rejected the report with contempt, stating, "It was extremely bizarre and a fake intelligence report that I was about to overthrow Zuma and that I had supernatural powers to make people disappear."
Shivambu claimed that Zuma is surrounded by "political scoundrels" who are taking advantage of his age and kindness to influence him to make decisions that favor their agendas.
He further alleged that these individuals are siphoning off millions from the party and that his leadership was being undermined.
Shivambu's demotion was announced by the party on June 3, with the reason cited as his visit to fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri's church in Malawi over the Easter weekend.
However, Shivambu maintained that this was not the real reason for his removal. He said Zuma had initially agreed to his trip to Malawi, but later reversed his decision after being influenced by those around him.
'I last spoke to President Jacob Zuma when we had the press conference in Durban when I was relieved of my duties. I thanked him for having given me an opportunity to serve as a leader in the organisation,' he said.
Shivambu further said Zuma agreed to him when they were visiting Namibia that he could go to Malawi.
'He said ngiyakhumbula (Zulu for I remember)...then he said yebo (yes)," Shivambu revealed.
Shivambu's future in the party has been uncertain since his removal as secretary-general. In response, he announced that he would consult with various communities and groups to gauge whether he should launch his own political party.
This move comes after Zuma's scathing speech, where he took a veiled swipe at Shivambu, saying the party would not beg anyone who did wrong, no matter how popular they were.
Shivambu emphasised that he remains a member of the MK Party and will not resign, despite the uncertainty surrounding his membership.
"I'm saying that we are going to consult with the people of South Africa and if uMkhonto weSizwe believes that going to listen to people violates that constitution then it will tell me that."
However h e took a swipe at both leaders of his former organisations, the EFF and the MKP saying members of the respective parties don't have courage to face their leaders when they are wrong.
'Everybody knew I was leaving EFF. We all discussed it and reached the same conclusion that we are not being fair to society that this comrade (Malema) would lead the country. We all agreed, even with the people that are leading the EFF now.
'For those who are saying if he wanted to destabilise the party I would have started a faction inside and caused ructions.
In the coming months, Shivambu plans to consult with traditional leaders, church leaders, and different institutions to determine whether there is a need for a new political party. He emphasized that this would not be a personal project but rather a representation of the people's will.
Shivambu said he would never join the ANC because it was disorganised and the EFF a cult.
MKP spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela had not yet responded to any questions at the time of going to print.
However sources within the MKP said that Shivambu had played a huge gamble and was probably going to be expelled for saying that he did not care if he was expelled.
Political analyst Sandile Swana believes Shivambu's move is a clear indication that he is forming an alternative political party.
"There is no question that the step that Floyd has taken today is forming an alternative political party. An alternative to the MKP and a new home for disgruntled EFF, MKP, and ANC members."
Swana further noted that Shivambu's actions are similar to Zuma's, who makes decisions outside of formal structures and is guided by those around him.
"Floyd is the accumulation, manifestation, and personification. A younger version of a chaotic Zuma. This is the apex of political chaos, that is Floyd."
[email protected]
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
‘A refuge for the connected' — ActionSA slams NPA, calls for Batohi's removal
NPA boss Shamila Batohi continues to face criticism over her leadership, with ActionSA protesting in Tshwane on Thursday, calling for her removal. While the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) continues to face criticism over its failure to lead successful prosecutions in several high-profile cases, ActionSA staged a protest outside the justice minister's offices in Tshwane on Thursday, 19 June, calling for the removal of NPA boss Shamila Batohi. 'Worryingly, the NPA has become a refuge for the politically connected, a place where accountability is avoided, justice is delayed and prosecutions collapse with alarming regularity,' said ActionSA president Herman Mashaba and the party's parliamentary head Athol Trollip in a joint statement after submitting a memorandum. 'Supported by victims of the NPA's failure to ensure that our criminal justice system protects the public and tackles rampant lawlessness, ActionSA's demand for the removal of advocate Batohi rests on the lived experiences of those who have been failed by a prosecuting body clearly incapable of fulfilling its mandate.' Batohi has faced criticism after several State Capture cases have been thrown out of court. ActionSA supporters emphasised the Timothy Omotoso case, with the Nigerian televangelist walking free in April after being cleared of all 32 charges – including rape and human trafficking. Hlengiwe Zondi, 23, an ActionSA supporter who arrived from Johannesburg, told Daily Maverick that she attended Thursday's protest because she was concerned about what the Omotoso case meant for her own safety. 'I am very scared. I am very scared for myself, for my younger sisters. I am scared for every single girl. 'The release of Omotoso after so much clear evidence against him, for me, was an indication that not a single woman or girl is safe under the current leadership of the NPA … What angers me most is that the leader of the NPA is a woman herself,' Zondi said. Sibongile Msomi, 48, said, 'These are the cases you want to use and set an example to intruders like Omotoso, whose actions amounted to peeing on our sovereignty. He needs to be brought back. 'There will be no shame in the NPA in doing that, failed as they have. In fact, many South Africans would be delighted to see Omotoso brought back to face the music. I did not trust the NPA at all since the Zuma years, but now I hate them for their conduct in the Omotoso and many State Capture cases,' said. Msomi, who said she was not a supporter of ActionSA, urged all South Africans to voice their displeasure with the criminal justice system. 'It only benefits the rich and corners ordinary South Africans,' Msomi said. Omotoso left the country in May and was declared a prohibited person for overstaying his visa and entering SA on a false permit. 'Batohi must go. We need somebody new, hopefully with a much clearer vision and guts,' Tisietso Mofokeng, 39, from the East Rand, said on Thursday. The ActionSA leaders said that while Batohi's 2018 appointment was met with hope that the NPA would move past an era defined by State Capture, 'that hope has curdled into deep public disillusionment'. 'The institution remains directionless, riven by internal factionalism, and wholly unable, or unwilling, to act decisively against either high-level corruption or pervasive violent crime. 'From troubling vacancy rates across provinces and key units within the NPA, to the failure to prosecute any high-profile cases arising from the Zondo Commission, to botched cases involving Timothy Omotoso, Ace Magashule, Moroadi Cholota and Zizi Kodwa, and the apparent laissez-faire approach to consequence management within the institution, the case for the removal of the NDPP is made by her own widely evident failures as the head of the institution. Batohi refuses to step aside Batohi has repeatedly denied that the NPA is in crisis. 'I want to say that, as the NDPP, I will not be stepping down because I believe that we are doing a really good job to serve the people of this country – as we have been – and, particularly, the victims of crime,' Batohi told MPs in Parliament this week. Batohi conceded there were '10 to 12 cases… that the NPA is coming for a lot of flak on'. 'There are legal processes and I urge that we consider these cases individually and consider where is the actual problem. And once we understand the actual problem, make sure we put in place solutions which address the problem,' she said. 'There are huge systemic problems in the criminal justice system. And I want to say that as the national director, I will not be [stepping] down because I believe that we are doing a really good job. And I will continue with my really good team to serve the people of this country,' said Batohi. In a recent SABC interview, Batohi said, 'There certainly have been setbacks and I don't want to underplay that. There've been major setbacks for the institution. But we're dealing with them.' During her presentation to the parliamentary justice committee on Tuesday, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said one of the problems facing the NPA was corruption. She said lifestyle audits could help address this. 'With lifestyle audits, we are able to see the patterns. We have agreed that this work will be done and we have committed that it will be started in this financial year,' she said. Batohi's term is set to expire in January 2026, and civil society groups have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to make the appointment process of her successor public, in a similar fashion to the public interviews Batohi faced before she was appointed. DM
Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
Floyd Shivambu to step out of the shadow of Malema and Zuma, but his future is uncertain
Floyd Shivambu, the perennial sidekick, faces an uphill battle on his own. Floyd Shivambu is charting a path similar to the one Jacob Zuma once took, as he looks to establish a new political party, despite still holding membership in the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party. This marks his first solo move in a competitive political landscape. Shivambu's political career began in the ANC Youth League, where he was the spokesperson during Julius Malema's time as president. In this era, the two were known for their radical rhetoric and support for the nationalisation of key industries. Shivambu was expelled from the ANC under former president Jacob Zuma's leadership, in 2013 a year after Malema was expelled from the party. They co-founded the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). As a founding member, Shivambu played a major role in shaping the party's direction and ideology, which is rooted in Pan-Africanist principles. Shivambu held the position of deputy president for more than 10 years, staying with the party through its best and worst times. The EFF had a strong start in the 2014 general elections, winning 6.35% of the vote. In 2019, it grew its support to 10.79%. But by 2024, support dropped to 9.52%, which can be attributed to a number of reasons, including growing tensions inside the party as well as the rise of rivals, such as the MK party. Shivambu was Malema's second in command, seen as a key strategist to support his commander-in-chief's mercurial charisma. (Both are linked to unlawful funds the party received from VBS Mutual Bank.) Eventually, they had a falling out, apparently over Malema's belief that Shivambu was a potential rival. On Thursday, 19 June, Shivambu said leaving the EFF was the most politically sound decision he had taken, adding that while he was with the red berets, the collective leadership held a meeting in which they unanimously agreed that Malema was not fit to lead the party. 'We were legitimising rubbish, and there was no way that one could dedicate their intellectual muscles and work when in practice this thing we said we were standing for is not principle…' 'We reached the same conclusion that we are not being fair if we say that this comrade [Malema] can lead this country,' Shivambu said. 10 months with MK In August 2024, Shivambu defected to the MK party, and within weeks he was parachuted into the roles of national organiser and eventually secretary-general. Discontent quickly surfaced in the party's leadership ranks. Among those who opposed his appointment were senior party members who pointed out that just three months earlier, during the May 2024 general elections, he had actively campaigned against the very party he now represented. His biggest detractors included Zuma's daughter, Duduzile, who on one occasion publicly insulted him, with comments that he was 'the worst thing that happened to MK', 'useless', and calling him 'Mafikizolo', which loosely translates to 'newcomer'. Read more: How Floyd Shivambu caused his own MK party downfall On Thursday, 19 June, in what appeared to be comments directed at Duduzile, Shivambu said: 'Even against all odds, if there is an opportunity to raise an issue about wrongdoing, I will speak and clearly speak against the untouchables, people who take drugs and tweet at night and insult us.' During his tenure at the MK party, he played an important role, contributing to establishing the party's constitution, establishing branches and putting systems in place. However, at some point, he was accused of attempting to centralise financial control of the party, with claims that he sought sole authority over its funds. On Thursday, he revealed that part of the reason he was removed as secretary-general (SG) was the belief that he was plotting to dethrone Zuma. He claimed the former president is surrounded by 'political scoundrels' who are siphoning off millions from the party. He boasted he 'left' the ANC when it was above 63% in Parliament, when it had power, suggesting that he was hardly bothered by the MK party possibly expelling him when it wasn't in power. Zuma, when he faced a disciplinary hearing in the ANC, had the same posture. 'This thing of political parties thinking that people are desperate for membership must come to an end,' Shivambu said. Against old allies Shivambu announced on Thursday that he would be embarking on a consultative process to establish whether there is an appetite for a new party. This comes two weeks after he was removed as SG over his controversial Easter Weekend visit to fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri's church in Malawi. His announcement of a consultative process brought more questions than answers, including how the process and the party itself will be funded. 'Funding for what when we do not have an organisation? We are going to listen, we are in a listening session, and if MK thinks that listening is a cause for termination of membership, so be it,' Shivambu said. The process mirrors what happened when Shivambu and Malema started the EFF. They initially embarked on a series of consultative meetings before launching the party. Shivambu's political career shows a clear pattern. He aligns himself with bold, revolutionary movements, but often parts ways when leadership strays from his ideals or when internal power struggles emerge. It remains unclear what the core tenets of this new political formation are, but it may become a little clearer next week when he announces what he said would be an interim structure to lead the consultative process. For now, he has indicated that the structure will consist of representatives from provinces across the country. Based on his history, Shivambu is likely to form a party that supports radical economic change, including land expropriation without compensation, state-led industrialisation, and the nationalisation of key industries. These are ideas he has pushed since his time in the ANC Youth League and the EFF. His ideology may still lean towards Pan-Africanism, but with a more practical approach. With his background in the Youth League and student activism, he's also likely to focus on young people, especially on issues such as education, jobs and housing, aiming to win back younger voters who feel ignored or disappointed with current political options. His possible party will enter a competitive landscape, where smaller parties have proliferated as the ANC's dominance continues to decline and more breakaway parties, and splinters of the breakaway parties, contest each election. He boasted on Thursday that he's done political work in every corner of the country, but he has no clear constituency and cannot rely on a Malema or Zuma to draw support. Those whom he chooses to partner with will be key in drawing support. Shivambu's new party has the potential to draw support from EFF members who are dissatisfied with the party's direction under Malema or disillusioned by internal divisions. Some of these individuals see Shivambu as the intellectual force or strategic brain behind the EFF's early success. He stands little chance of drawing voters away from the MK party as it is strongly built around Zuma's identity. However, he might attract younger supporters and those who are frustrated with the party's lack of structure, and those with the growing perception that the MK party is a tribalistic movement and is being run as a family business. DM
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Floyd Shivambu plots new political party amid Zuma coup accusations
Former MK party secretary-general, Floyd Shivambu, has declared the start of the process to create a new political party following accusations that he attempted to topple former president Jacob Zuma as the MKP leader. Speaking at a press briefing at the Mhulu Luxury Boutique Hotel in Midrand on Thursday, Shivambu said they will be consulting with all traditional leaders, church leaders, and civilians over the next few months on the formation of the party. 'We will be seeking the wisdom of ordinary South Africans, including all the churches of Zion Christian Church of Nazareth Baptist Church and IPCC… Michael Nkuna, Dr Irvin Khoza, Patrice Motsepe, and Kaizer Motaung on the need to form a new political party. 'If yes, what should be the values of that political party and what should differentiate it from other political parties?' he said. However, Shivambu insisted he was not leaving MKP, brushing off the question about dual membership. 'I have not resigned from uMkhonto weSizwe. I will never resign from uMkhonto weSizwe,' he said, sticking to his word that joining Zuma's party was the best decision ever. Shivambu stated that the consultations needed to be the answer to why and how the party should be funded. He said the party on the pipelines is not going to be a personal project, a cult or a group of friends. He added that they will announce the leadership that is going to lead the consultations. Shivambu dropped a political bombshell during a media briefing, claiming he'd been accused of plotting to overthrow Zuma and take over. He slammed what he called a 'bizarre and fabricated intelligence report,' alleging it accused him of wielding 'supernatural powers' capable of making people vanish — charges he dismissed as absurd and politically motivated. 'There's nothing I do in private that I won't own publicly,' Shivambu declared defiantly. His explosive comments come amid a wave of infighting that's torn through the MK Party.
