Johannesburg, 4 June 2025 — In a dramatic political twist, Commander Floyd Shivambu has been officially removed from his post as Secretary General of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, less than a year after his high-profile defection from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The move, described as a “redeployment” by the MK Party, comes in the wake of a controversial and unsanctioned trip to Malawi that violated party rules.
In a statement issued on 3 June 2025, MK Party President Jacob Zuma cited Shivambu’s Malawi trip as the catalyst for his removal, stating it contravened Section 3(i) of the MK Party Constitution, which prohibits “international trips and activities opposed to the agenda of the MK Party or an allied party.”
> “The trip was not an officially sanctioned programme of the organisation or the President,” read the media statement. “The President and the National Officials were left with no other option but to act swiftly.”
The Malawi trip became politically radioactive following the country’s decision to extradite controversial religious figures Shepherd and Mary Bushiri back to South Africa to face multiple criminal charges. While the MK Party did not specify Shivambu’s precise involvement, the timing and optics have caused significant internal and public backlash.
In a follow-up statement, the party spun Shivambu’s departure from leadership as a strategic “redeployment” to Parliament, praising his “invaluable skills and experience.” But critics are unconvinced.
> “A revolutionary turned renegade—now discarded,” political analyst Glen Mpani tweeted. “This is a masterclass in political miscalculation.”
Mpani argues that Shivambu’s defection from the EFF and subsequent fall from grace in the MK Party highlights the brutal cost of political betrayal: “The new home never fully trusts you. The old one never forgives you.”
Shivambu, once a central figure in building the EFF’s ideological and political machinery, now finds himself in political limbo—redeployed, yet stripped of real power.
What’s Next?
While Shivambu is expected to take up a seat in the National Assembly, his political future is uncertain. The MK Party faces growing pressure to explain its internal coherence and the motives behind top-level decisions. Meanwhile, whispers of factionalism and power struggles are beginning to circulate more loudly within political circles.
One thing is clear: Floyd Shivambu’s fall is a cautionary tale in South African politics—where loyalty is currency, and missteps are rarely forgiven.
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