Shivambu Appointed MKP Secretary General As Residents of His Home Village Remain Indifferent

NEW BROOM: uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) President Jacob Zuma has appointed Floyd Shivambu as Secretary General a few months after joining South Africa’s third biggest party. (Photo: Emacous Photography).

uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) President Jacob Zuma has appointed Floyd Shivambu as Secretary General a few months after joining South Africa’s third biggest party. 

Shivambu, the EFF’s former deputy president and the party’s co-founder, takes over from Dr Sifiso Maseko, who resigned in October to resume his duties in the Gauteng Department of Health.

Shivambu shockingly left the EFF in August amid a fallout with party leader Julius Malema, who later accused him of betrayal. He was later appointed the MKP’s National Organiser, allowing him to oversee the party’s policies and deployment committee. 

Shivambu’s elevation to the MKP’s third powerful position confirms his status as the party’s rising star and one of Zuma’s trusted lieutenants. It comes in the wake of an exodus of former senior EFF leaders to the MKP, including ex-National Chairperson Adv Dali Mpofu and former Public Protector Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane. 

In a statement released on Sunday, November 10, the MKP’s head of Presidency, Magasela Mzobe, said Zuma appointed Shivambu after consulting with senior party leaders. He added that Zuma acted after Dr Maseko requested to be relieved of his duties and return to his position as a chief director in the Gauteng Department of Health following the conclusion of his internal disciplinary process. 

“The President accepted Dr. Maseko’s request to resume his work as Chief Director in the Gauteng Department of Health. Commander Maseko is released as Secretary General of uMkhonto weSizwe, but will retain his responsibilities as a member of the National High Command, which is the highest decision-making body in the MKP. 

“As prescribed by the MK Party Constitution, The President has in consultation with the MK Party National Officials appointed Commander Nyiko Floyd Shivambu as the Secretary General of Umkhonto Wesizwe, effective immediately. Commander Nyiko Floyd Shivambu will assume all the functions and tasks of Secretary General as prescribed by the Constitution of the MKP,” the party said in a statement.

RISING STARS: Newly appointed MKP Secretary General Floyd Shivambu and the party’s Head of Presidency, Magasela Mzobe, share a light moment during a media briefing. Shivambu, the party’s National Organiser, replaced Dr Sifiso Maseko, who resigned in October to resume his duty in the Gauteng Department of Health.

The MKP statement did not reveal why Shivambu was given the nod and what impressed Zuma about him. However, Zuma’s confidence in Shivambu was laid bare during the MKP’s media briefing in Johannesburg to introduce the party’s new top leadership. At the time, Zuma described Shivambu as a “scientific politician” with an impressive capacity to decide when to make critical political decisions.

Shivambu has been credited with helping draft the MKP’s policies and mass mobilization, which saw the party recruit prominent leaders, win seats in SRC elections, and bag wards in the recent local government elections. 

In Shivambu’s home village of Mahonisi in Malamulele, Limpopo, residents were indifferent to his elevation. Some said his appointment as MKP secretary general was neither here nor there for them because they belonged to different political parties. Others said it made no difference because he failed to help solve the water crisis in the area when he wielded enormous political influence as EFF deputy president. 

A vehicle mechanic, well known as Godi, from Mahonisi Village, said Shivambu’s political life does not impact them in the area.

“I cannot express my feelings about this matter because I am an ANC member. I focus on the ANC. Floyd’s move from his party to MKP is not a big deal. Floyd did not serve us when he was with EFF. He is just a human being living his life in Gauteng,” said Godi, who refused to give his full name.

CALLING THE SHOTS: Former President Jacob Zuma has appointed Floyd Shivambu as MKP secretary general. Shivambu’s elevation to the MKP’s third powerful position confirms he is a rising star in the party and one of Zuma’s trusted lieutenants.

Tsundakani Mabasa, a 34-year-old unemployed youth from Jim Jones, a neighbouring village to Mahonisi, said Shivambu’s appointment is “nothing” to him because he is like many other politicians in Malamulele who have never provided services to the people.

“Floyd’s appointment is nothing. I cannot follow people making money when I am not generating anything. First, I do not vote, and I do not like politics. Floyd will never help me with anything. Politics is just a mind-blogging topic. Floyd does not know us people who saw him grow up in politics. He does not care about us.

“I am not expecting anything from him. What has he done for the people when he was at EFF? Even Collins Chabane never serviced us in Malamulele. Residents of Malamulele were very foolish to name the municipality after him. The best thing one can do is to live life simply. Focus on your future and how to make money. Do not stress about Floyd. Floyd only cares about family and children. Look, youth from Mavambe and Mahonisi were very active in EFF’s politics, but now they have moved to MK. They are following Floyd. This guy is living his life in Gauteng,” Mabasa said. 

Tshwane University of Technology politics lecturer and political analyst Dr Levy Ndou said Shivambu’s elevation is unsurprising because he has national politics experience and cross-over appeal. It also indicated that Shivambu is Zuma’s close ally. 

“It is not surprising at all. It is Floyd Shivambu and Jacob Zuma who have been highly involved in national politics in the MK Party. So he becomes the most relevant person to be Secretary General of the MK Party. Another factor is that age is on his side, in terms of being able to appeal to the broader South African constituency.”

“But that also means that Floyd is very close to former President Jacob Zuma and could have got the trust of the former president. In terms of energy, in terms of organizational work, Floyd becomes the most relevant person to occupy that position in the MK Party,” Ndou said.

PARTY FAITHFUL: MKP members at the party’s gala dinner organised by Floyd Shivambu. The Tshwane University of Technology politics lecturer and political analyst Dr Levy Ndou said Shivambu’s elevation as MKP secretary-general is unsurprising because he has national politics experience and cross-over appeal.

Dr Ndou believes Zuma is sending two messages to the party members and the public.

“The first message is that here is a capable person who should be given an opportunity to run the organization and provide as many chances as required. But message number two, he could be saying I have a lot of people in the MK Party who could occupy this position even though they have been with the party for some time.”

“Here is the right person who should occupy that position. Others might say new people are coming in to take positions at the party, but I think Floyd’s experience is something that should not be underestimated,” Ndou stressed. 

He added that it would be difficult for Shivambu’s critics to argue that he does not deserve the position because he is new. After all, many other MKP leaders were promoted shortly after joining the party. 

“Busisiwe Mkhwebane came. She has been elevated. Hlophe came. He has been elevated. Mchunu came. He has been elevated. It is not a new thing. People are coming, and they are given positions. That is what is happening in the MK Party.”

“Shaka Bundu came. He has been elevated. He is now in Parliament. Even though people are raising issues and so on, that could be a potential possibility, but the bottom line is that it will be difficult to argue that Shivambu is not the right person for that position,” he said.

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