Why Jacob Zuma removed Floyd Shivambu
Former uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu said he was removed from his position at MK because former president Jacob Zuma thought he might take over and remove him as party president.
Shivambu said this during an interview with the Sunday Times’s Mike Siluma. The former secretary-general (SG) has since formed his own party, the Afrika Mayibuye Movement, of which he is the president.
The MK party said that Shivambu was removed for taking an unauthorised trip to Malawi to meet fugitive preacher Shephard Bushiri, which the party viewed as a serious breach of protocol.
The party said that this incident, along with accusations of abuse of office, leaking confidential information, and fuelling factionalism, led to his removal as Secretary-General.
MK Party chairperson Nathi Nhleko said the party’s leadership had concluded that Shivambu had “publicly defined himself outside the ranks and ideological line of the MK Party,” and that this amounted to a breach of trust
Party treasurer general Mpiyakhe Limba claimed that Shivambu left the party with close to R30 million in debt.
Shivambu said, however, that his removal had “nothing to do with Malawi” and had more to do with his growing popularity within MK.
“The leadership of MK was fearful that I was having legitimacy amongst the members,” he said.
“What President Zuma said is the reason for my removal is that he believed that I’m going to remove him as president of MK,” he added, “those were his words.”
Shivambu said Zuma removed him before he could replace him as president, something that allegedly went against initial discussions.
When approached by Zuma to join the party while he was still part of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Shivambu said that Zuma, ironically, allegedly asked him to be president of MKP.
“That was the proposition. Then I said that I can’t come in as president, not even as secretary-general. I can join as an ordinary member, but I don’t want to be president.”
Shivambu believed Zuma was doing a good job as president of MK at the time, even though there were organisational issues that required the assistance of someone with his expertise and experience.
“It was in chaos, by the way, when I got there,” he said.
MK Party corruption scandals
After joining MKP in August 2024, Shivambu’s rapid rise to secretary-general by November 2024 angered sections of the membership.
Previously, Shivambu said that he was removed because he exposed alleged corruption involving millions of rands.
He had accused some MKP leaders of stealing R7 million every month. In the most recent interview, he reiterated that this must have been a factor in his removal.
He said that members of the party were found to be stealing money from MK’s finances. “I am very firm on the principle that organisational resources must be used strictly for organisational purposes,” he said.
He added that some of those who were found to be draining MKP’s funds were members of Zuma’s family.
MKP Treasurer-General Mpiyakhe Limba said Shivambu left the party with a debt of R28 million, which it blames him for, as he was fully responsible for the treasurer’s office for five months.
Shivambu’s political career has involved multiple shifts in party affiliation: from the ANC, to co-founding the EFF in 2013 alongside Julius Malema, to joining the MK Party in 2024, and now leading his own movement.
He said, however, that he doesn’t regret his time at MK. At the time of joining the party, he said it was the best political decision he had ever made – a statement which he still stands by today.
“It exposed me to a far wider constituency and different people that I would never have interacted with had I remained with the EFF,” he said.
“I am not worried whatsoever about the success of the Africa Mayibuye Movement, because I know it is going to be a very successful political organisation, if not the most successful in South Africa.”
Shivambu is no longer in touch with Zuma or Julius Malema, but much of his new party’s leadership and support comes from former MKP members.
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Oh well, since nobody wants to blow his trumpet, best he do it himself I guess!