Infighting rocks Floyd Shivambu’s new party

Just over a month after Floyd Shivambu announced the formation of his new political party, the Afrika Mayibuye Movement, reports of infighting in the party’s leadership have emerged. 

Social media posts and news reports indicate that the Party’s deputy president, Nolubabalo Mcinga, is considering leaving the party to form her own. 

Afrika Mayibuye’s spokesperson, Sydney Baloyi, confirmed with Newsday that there are internal issues between Mcinga and national officials that are currently “being handled.”

Several social media posts speculate that Mcinga wants to leave the party to start her own women-centred movement, citing “power tensions” and “tribalism” as key issues in Shivambu’s party.

Others say that the relationship between Mcinga and Shivambu deteriorated after Dr Musa Nozi Dube and Nombuso Mkhize joined the Afrika Mayibuye Movement from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party. 

The party announced that Dube would serve as the President of its Women’s movement. Mkhize was previously the Deputy Secretary General of the MK Party.

Sources close to Mcinga allegedly told iReport South Africa that Mcinga has become frustrated with the direction the party is heading in, feeling that the party has “lost its moral compass” 

According to these sources, urgent meetings have been held by the party to address the leadership issues. 

Mcinga has not publicly confirmed the tensions or her intentions to leave the party. However, On 16 October, as rumours unfolded, Mcinga posted on X (formerly Twitter): “In politics, there are no permanent friends, and no permanent enemies.”

Mcinga is the first woman to hold the Deputy President position in a South African political party. 

A businesswoman, author and philanthropist, Mcinga is the sixth wife of AbuThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo. 

She was previously a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and a Member of Parliament. 

Mcinga resigned from her position in the EFF and gave up her seat in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in November 2024. She did not provide any reasons for her resignation at the time.

‘No permanent friends in politics’

Mcinga’s departure from the EFF, however, closely followed that of Afrika Mayibuye’s leader. Shivambu left the EFF to join the MK Party a few months prior. 

Shivambu has had many political homes in the past. After starting his political career in the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League, he formed the EFF alongside current leader Julius Malema and served as its deputy president. 

When he left to join the MK party, he took on the position of secretary general. However, Shivambu was fired from this position by party leader Jacob Zuma in June 2025. 

The party attributed this to Shivambu’s controversial trip to Malawi to attend an Easter service at pastor Shepherd Bushiri’s church, a man previously arrested and charged for fraud in South Africa in 2020. 

The party said this unauthorised trip, as well as accusations of abuse of office, leaking confidential information and fanning factionalism, led to his removal.

However, in a recent interview with the Sunday Times, Shivambu said he was removed because Zuma was threatened by his popularity in the party, and feared he might replace him as leader. 

In starting the Afrika Mayibuye Movement, Shivambu said the party is a “unique, revolutionary response to all South Africans who lost faith in politics.”

“This was reflected in the 2024 elections, where only 39.7% of the voting-age population participated, compared to 89% turnout in 1994.”

He added that the ANC has dismally failed to deliver a better life for all and there are “no liberation alternatives to the ANC’s decline.”

Shivambu said the party would be a “family project” and would become “the most successful political organisation in South Africa.”