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Daily Maverick
15 hours ago
- Business
- 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
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Floyd Shivambu looks to form new party — just 10 months after joining MK
In the wake of his removal as secretary-general of the uMkhonto Wesizwe party, Floyd Shivambu said he was accused of plotting to dethrone Jacob Zuma, and alleged that the former president is surrounded by 'political scoundrels' who are siphoning off millions from the party. When Floyd Shivambu announced a media briefing through a document that didn't include the official uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party letterhead, it was clear he was on his way out. What was uncertain was the direction he would take next. On Thursday, 19 June 2025, Shivambu announced that over the coming months he would consult various communities and groups to gauge whether he should launch his own political party. This he will do alongside an interim structure that he will announce next week, all while remaining a member of the official opposition party, whose cap he wore on Thursday before addressing journalists in Midrand. Shivambu's decision comes two weeks after he was removed as MK party secretary-general. Speaking about the reasons for his removal, Shivambu said he was accused of wanting to overthrow the party's leader and founder, Jacob Zuma. Shivambu claimed he was also accused of accumulating supernatural powers to make people disappear. This was done through two fake intelligence reports, he said. Shivambu was appointed as secretary-general in November 2024 as the MK party prepared to mark its first anniversary in December. During this period, concerns surfaced over his alleged attempts to centralise financial control of the party, with claims that he sought sole authority over its funds. On Thursday, Shivambu claimed that Zuma's advisors had been stealing millions from the organisation and that his leadership was being undermined by those around him. Prior to the announcement of the press conference, it was already clear that Shivambu's future in the party hung in the balance, after Zuma's scathing speech on Monday, June 16, in which he took a veiled swipe at Shivambu, saying the party would not beg anybody when they did wrong, no matter how popular they were. Zuma went further, suggesting that all the former secretaries had in fact been involved in some wrongdoing. Shivambu's move was hardly unexpected, given the internal tensions within the party and his controversial Easter Weekend visit to fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri's church in Malawi, a turning point that marked the beginning of his downfall. The MK party said he undertook the visit in his personal capacity, without the mandate or knowledge of the party. Shivambu could have apologised. Instead, he doubled down. Shivambu's redeployment as secretary-general was announced by the party on 3 June, just over nine months after he left his position as deputy president of the EFF, the party he formed with Julius Malema, to join MK. The party said Shivambu would be redeployed to Parliament where he was due to be sworn in as an MP soon, but this did not happen. On Thursday, Shivambu said it was because those close to Zuma had in fact blocked his move using a second intelligence report, which found he would use his power to take over the party. Shivambu told journalists that the report included claims of 'WhatsApp conversations between me and someone else where I'm reported to be saying that, 'Ja, I'm going to Parliament now to take over the party, and I've got money from Stellenbosch.'' When Shivambu was announced as the latest member of the MK party in Sandton in August 2024, Zuma sang his praises, saying he was an honest man who met him while he was a young man in the ANC Youth League, the very same Youth League Shivambu was expelled from by the ANC under Zuma's leadership. When he joined the MK party, Shivambu said it was the most politically sound decision he had ever made. Quizzed about this on Thursday, he stood by the decision, saying he had 'tremendous respect for Zuma' and that he had learnt more from him in the past six months than he did as a deputy president of EFF in a decade. DM
Daily Maverick
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
‘We are taking back the country' Zuma tells crowd, suggesting that his corruption charges should be dropped
French arms company Thales says the State should drop corruption and fraud charges due to the death of two key witnesses. If it succeeds, former president Jacob Zuma, a co-accused in the matter, believes his charges should also be dropped. Church Street in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, was a hive of activity on Thursday, 24 April 2025, as uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party supporters flocked to the high court to support the co-founder and leader of the party, former president Jacob Zuma, in his Arms Deal case. Judge Nkosinathi Chili handed judgment on Zuma's application for leave to appeal against a ruling on State prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer's involvement in the case. Chili said there was no just cause that pointed to Downer being a proponent of unfair proceedings in this case. The court denied Zuma's appeal. Zuma had argued that Downer was biased and that his continued involvement in the case would deny Zuma a fair trial. But Chili said there was no compelling reason to grant the application. Zuma has tried the same strategy on multiple occasions. Zuma and French arms company Thales stand accused of corruption, racketeering, money laundering and fraud related to the 1999 Arms Deal. Zuma is accused of receiving payments totalling R4.1-million between 1995 and 2004 from his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik and Shaik's companies to help arms company Thales secure lucrative defence contracts. Outside the court Zuma addressed hundreds of his supporters outside the court and suggested the charges against him, which were first laid in 2005, may be dropped. Zuma, who was a leader in the KwaZulu-Natal government during the conclusion of the Arms Deal, tried to distance himself from the alleged corruption. 'When the weapons deal happened, I was still here. I was at the local parliament, not the national Parliament. When the deal was originally discussed, the leader was ubaba Nelson Mandela and the then deputy president, Thabo Mbeki, but when there was news of theft, they said Zuma stole,' he said. He was in high spirits and was resolute as he said: 'The case has to come to an end. I want to thank you for the continuous support. We are finishing this now. It's good that it is coming to an end when there is uMkhonto Wesizwe. We are taking back the country, we all can see we are growing, there is no more time to play. 'We were robbed last time, but that will not happen again. We should all come out in numbers and vote,' said Zuma. Members of Zuma's MK party continue to make unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2024 general elections and have taken the matter to the Electoral Court. Zuma took a swipe at the Government of National Unity (GNU), which announced a 0.5 percentage point VAT increase in the Budget speech before withdrawing it on Thursday, suggesting that the VAT increase bid and its subsequent withdrawal was an example of a government that was not in touch with the people. Thales' dismissal bid Judge Chili also heard arguments for an application brought by Thales, the second accused in the matter. Thales is requesting an acquittal, stating that their witnesses have died. It says this is enough reason to not go to trial. It says its arguments during the trial would be affected by the absence of the witnesses. The company's lawyers told the court that two of its key witnesses, Pierre Moynto and Alain Thetard, who were employees at Thales, had died. Zuma's legal team argued that it stood to reason that Thales' acquittal would lead to Zuma's acquittal. Advocate Dali Mpofu stated that without those witnesses, their team could not challenge the evidence, essentially rendering the trial unfair. Mpofu said: 'The State cannot speculate, which is what it would be doing without these key witnesses.' The State was not convinced, saying it could still call on Shaik to testify, and that Zuma himself could testify. 'As appears from the indictment, the State alleges that he (Zuma) personally was involved in the racketeering, corruption and fraud with which he has been charged, and it is open to him to testify in his own defence as Mr Shaik did in his criminal trial,' said State prosecutor Advocate Andrew Breitenbach. In opposing the application, the State said the death of the two witnesses could not be used to prevent the trial from going ahead. 'When the court considers such an application, it has to also consider the seriousness of the charges that the accused are facing,' Breitenbach said, adding that most of the witnesses who gave evidence during Shaik's trial were still available to give their testimony. He told the court that the State had given its undertaking that it would not object to evidence from the Shaik trial, which had a bearing on this case, being admitted as hearsay evidence. The case will resume in court on 3 June 2025. DM
Daily Maverick
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Shivambu under fire after visit to fugitive ‘prophet' Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi
uMkhonto Wesizwe party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu was fraternising with fugitive and self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi this weekend, where Bushiri and his wife fled after appearing in South African courts on charges of fraud and rape. As South Africa awaits the appeal process outcome to continue its extradition efforts, uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu's visit to Malawi and public association with Bushiri this weekend at Bushiri's Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church sparked outrage, with the Justice Ministry condemning Shivambu's action. Comrade Floyd Shivambu 🫡 #bushiri — Shepherd Bushiri (@psbushiri_) April 19, 2025 Self-proclaimed prophet Bushiri fled South Africa in 2020 while facing charges that included rape and fraud. His and his wife's departure from South Africa was described as a direct violation of their bail conditions and prompted an official extradition request to the Malawian government. During November 2020, a request was received by the department from the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) for the extradition of the Bushiris from Malawi to South Africa to stand trial on the charges. The request was subsequently delivered at the office of the Attorney-General in Malawi on 5 December 2020. The South African government has since been attempting to extradite the pair through a complicated legal process. The pair has been charged for contraventions of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, the Banking Act, the Civil Aviation Act and the Immigration Act. 'Undermining the credibility of our judiciary' Terrence Manase, spokesperson to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, told Daily Maverick that Shivambu's association with a known fugitive, as a public figure and representative of a political party in Parliament, sent a concerning message about the integrity of South Africa's justice system. 'Such actions risk undermining the credibility of our judiciary and may inadvertently portray the system as weak, an impression that stands in stark contrast to the strength and resilience of our legal institutions,' Manase told Daily Maverick. The ministry sought to assure the public that it remained fully committed to ensuring that Bushiri and his wife returned to South Africa to stand trial. 'Our actions continue to be guided by legal protocols and international cooperation agreements,' said Manase. The Ministry of Justice said it was concerned that a leader of a political party represented in Parliament would publicly associate with an individual who was viewed as a fugitive from justice. This, while frowned upon, was not illegal, and the pair had not yet been convicted. Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi cautioned that such conduct by a political leader not only undermined the credibility of the judiciary, but also diminished the seriousness of the charges against Bushiri. Shivambu's party distanced itself from his visit to Bushiri's church and said the visit had not been sanctioned, endorsed or initiated by the leadership or any official structure of the MK Party. The MK statement said that Shivambu, the party's secretary-general, undertook the visit in his personal capacity and without the mandate or knowledge of the party. The party indicated that the visit did not reflect the party's stance. 'We reiterate our commitment to ethical leadership and the principles of justice, and we call on all members and representatives of the MK Party to act in a manner that reflects the highest standards of responsibility and accountability.' The party did not respond to questions on whether steps would be taken to address Shivambu's action. Extradition efforts under way Following Shivambu's visit and meeting with Bushiri, the ministry said it remains committed to securing the extradition of the Bushiris after Malawi's Chief Resident Magistrates' Court ruled that the pair were eligible for extradition. But they have since filed an appeal. 'We are respecting the legal processes of the Republic of Malawi. We await the outcome of the appeal process,' Manase said when questioned about the status of the extradition efforts. The Ministry of Justice said the matter before the Malawian courts was the direct result of ongoing mutual bilateral cooperation between the governments of South Africa and Malawi. 'We continue to engage through legal channels and remain encouraged by the cooperation we have received to date,' said Manase. The ministry did not believe that Shivambu's visit to Malawi would influence the independent judicial processes. Minister Kubayi said that political leaders, like Shivambu, had a responsibility to uphold the rule of law, 'not fraternise with fugitives', as his actions emboldened those who believed they could escape accountability. However, the ministry said it would not engage with the MK Party on the matter. Fraternising In posts on Twitter/X, Bushiri jubilantly welcomed Shivambu as a businessman, politician and family man, announcing his presence on Saturday and Shivambu's support for African affairs. 'Sadly, some still peddle jealousy and negativity, labelling successful black individuals as 'corrupt' and 'must be investigated', while praising white individuals as 'investors'. That's not Pan-Africanism; that's jealousy. Let's move beyond politics of attrition,' said Bushiri. He added as a 'bonus fact' that after their meeting, Shivambu attended Bushiri's Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church for a prayer session. 'I guess you could say he wanted to 'pray away' any political stress or ensure his prayers were 'politically correct'. Either way, his visit was a blessing, and we appreciate his willingness and humility to seek divine guidance,' said Bushiri. Shivambu did not respond to queries sent by the time of publication. His response will be added once received. However, he did respond to Bushiri publicly on X: 'Thank you my brother, Prophet Bushiri for hosting us and for the kind words. The government scale amount of work you do to economically, educationally, socially and spiritually uplift our people is unparalleled now and in history. 'I know that the leadership and people of Malawi appreciate and cherish the many massive programmes you do for the people on the ground. Continue doing the good work. 'The Book says, 'Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender'. God Bless!' While the optics of such visits may raise concerns within public discourse, the Ministry of Justice said Shivambu's actions did not constitute direct political interference in the legal matter. 'We maintain full confidence in the independence of Malawi's judiciary and its ability to adjudicate the matter impartially,' Manase said. DM
