MK party removes Floyd Shivambu as secretary after Bushiri visit
The MK party in April distanced itself from its secretary-general Floyd Shivambu's visit to fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri's church
The MK party leader has removed Floyd Shivambu as secretary-general of the party.
This comes after an investigation into Shivambu's trip to Malawi to visit fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri's Enlightened Church. The party said the trip was against the party's constitution.
MK party national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said Shivambu is now deployed as a Member of Parliament.
ALSO READ: Shivambu slammed for visiting and praising Bushiri in Malawi during Easter [VIDEO]
This is a developing story
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
3 hours 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
7 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.
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
'We will not beg anyone': Jacob Zuma on the slippery MK secretary general seat
Jonisayi Maromo | Published 3 days ago Leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe party, former president Jacob Zuma, has addressed thousands of supporters in Durban, where the political outfit launched its youth league during an event to commemorate Youth Day. Zuma stated that when he announced the formation of the MK party, he recognised that the youth would be central to its operations and mission. 'On 15 December (2023) when I made an announcement and I said those who I was part of, were fighting for freedom, and they have moved off the road. I said I am establishing this party. But I said something else that I would say on a different day. 'I said we want to take the elections and win them, and rule this country, as we said we are going to. I would not have died before I see the correct and indeed the freedom that we have spoken about. 'When I made the announcement, I knew that at the heart of the revolution is the youth in fact. It is the youth that are at the heart of succeeding in whatever we do. I am very happy that today I can say without hesitation that the youth of this country is on the road to liberate this country,' he said. The MK party leader added that the 'freedom' is not very far. Zuma said he believes it is the youth of South Africa who must lead the campaign in speaking out against the problems bedevilling the citizens. 'I don't think we should keep quiet and wait that until there is an occasion bla bla bla. We are still oppressed but the oppression of this time is at another level, and we should not accept it,' he said. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. 'The youth is here. When we started, we knew that we could not do everything in one day. We have the youth (league) now. The youth have a role to play in history.' Zuma said when the African National Congress (ANC) it was the youth league which took the revolution to greater heights. Moving onto internal MK party matters, Zuma said the party is not beholden to anyone, and no one will be begged to stay. 'Let us not take this organisation as an organisation that you come to make money. This is not the organisation to make money. It is an organisation to liberate South Africa, this one,' said Zuma. 'That is why, if you look seriously, you realise that if we have one of us who goes out of the way, we do not beg them. Let me just tell you, it is now seven people who have occupied the position of secretary general, because we are not playing. Even if you think you are big, you have a huge following or whatever, we don't care, we talk about our party.' A week ago, IOL reported that Floyd Shivambu has been removed as the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party's secretary-general. At a press briefing hosted in Durban, the MK party said this comes after an investigation into Shivambu's trip to Malawi to visit fugitive pastor, Shepherd Bushiri's Jesus Nation Church, which was found to be against the party's constitution. A statement on behalf of Zuma was read by Nathi Nhleko, the party's national organiser. [email protected] IOL News
