DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA — Less than a year after defecting from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and rising quickly within the ranks of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, Floyd Shivambu has been relieved of his role as Secretary General and reassigned to Parliament—as an ordinary Member of Parliament (MP).
The MK Party’s National Organiser, Nathi Nhleko, announced the redeployment during a press briefing on Tuesday, June 3, citing a collective decision by national officials.
“The national officials have come to a decision to redeploy Commander Floyd Shivambu… to the National Assembly,” Nhleko said.
This decision follows growing tensions within the MK Party and mounting accusations against Shivambu, including undermining party figures, such as former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, and mismanaging internal disciplinary processes.
Accused of Undermining Mkhwebane
Shivambu is under fire for allegedly withholding financial and strategic support from the Mpumalanga province, where Mkhwebane serves as the provincial leader. Insiders claim Shivambu’s failure to back Mkhwebane—who was appointed by party president Jacob Zuma—amounts to internal sabotage.
Zuma is reportedly unhappy with Shivambu’s actions and has labeled the situation “a great embarrassment” to the party.
Factional Fallout and Expulsions
Shivambu’s tenure as SG also saw the controversial expulsion of Mary Phadi, the former Mpumalanga leader, who defied party decisions and challenged her removal in court. Despite being removed by Shivambu in a February 27, 2025 letter, Phadi has continued to assert leadership in the province, deepening the internal factional divide.
Backlash Over Bushiri Visit
Tensions escalated further after Shivambu’s unofficial Easter weekend visit to televangelist Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi. Bushiri and his wife, Mary, fled South Africa in 2020 while on bail for fraud and money laundering charges.
South Africa’s Department of Justice and MK Party officials criticized the visit as “a blatant act of disrespect towards South Africa’s legal system.”
However, Shivambu defended his decision as a personal spiritual matter:
“One thing I will never apologise for is when I went to see Prophet Shepherd Bushiri… Going to religious institutions is a personal choice.”
The MK Party has publicly distanced itself from Shivambu’s actions, emphasizing that the trip was not sanctioned by the party.
Despite public rebukes, Shivambu insists he remains in close contact with Zuma:
“There is nothing I do without informing the president,” he said.
Political Downgrade?
Shivambu’s redeployment to a non-leadership parliamentary role—with Colleen Makhubele recently appointed Chief Whip—is widely viewed as a political demotion, marking a sharp fall from his previous stature as EFF Deputy President and now former MK SG.
With growing internal dissatisfaction, unresolved factional tensions, and Zuma’s increasingly vocal disapproval, Shivambu’s political future within the MK Party remains uncertain.
