Floyd Shivambu accused of sabotaging Busisiwe Mkhwebane as Mpumalanga provisional leader

Less than a year after joining the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and rising to become its Secretary General, Floyd has been relieved of his SG duties. The party said Shivambu would be sent to Parliament, but not as Chief Whip or in any senior parliamentary role, but as an ordinary Member of Parliament (MP). 

The party confirmed the decision during a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday afternoon.MK’s national organiser, Nathi Nhleko, announced the “redeployment”, saying it was a collective decision of the party’s national officials. 

“The national officials have come to a decision to redeploy Commander Floyd Shivambu as the secretary general of the party, and redeploy him to the National Assembly,” Nhleko said. The move comes amid growing tensions within the MK Party ranks.

The position of Chief Whip was filled last week by Colleen Makhubele, leaving Shivambu’s reassignment widely viewed as a political downgrade. Once the deputy president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Shivambu’s rapid fall within the MK Party has raised eyebrows, particularly as internal disputes and allegations mount.

Shivambu is accused by some party members of undermining former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who serves as the party's provincial leader in Mpumalanga. Insiders allege that he withheld financial support from the province and failed to firmly back Mkhwebane, who was placed in her leadership position by party president Jacob Zuma.

The Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has expelled its Mpumalanga leader, Mary Phadi, accusing her of defying party processes by challenging her 2024 expulsion in court and organising an unauthorised factional meeting.

In a letter dated February 27, 2025, MKP secretary-general Floyd Shivambu informed Phadi that her membership was cancelled with immediate effect. Phadi has, however, continued to hold the party, declaring herself the provincial leader. 

Zuma is said to be unhappy with Shivambu's handling of the situation, and that the situation has caused the party “great embarrassment”

Tensions have further escalated following Shivambu’s controversial Easter weekend visit to the church of televangelist Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi.

The visit sparked strong condemnation from both the MK Party and South Africa’s Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, with officials calling it “a blatant act of disrespect towards South Africa's legal system.”Bushiri and his wife, Mary, fled South Africa in 2020 while out on bail on charges including fraud and money laundering.

Despite the backlash, Shivambu has stood by his decision to visit Bushiri, insisting it was a personal spiritual choice.

“One thing I will never apologise for is when I went to see Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, and he said, ‘Let’s go to church.’ I said, ‘I’ll go to church,’” he told a TV news station in a recent interview.

“Going to religious institutions is a personal choice for anyone. I go to many religious institutions, including those whose faith I don't associate with, for different reasons. We have to listen to different people,” he added.

The MK Party has formally distanced itself from the visit, stating it was not sanctioned by the leadership.

However, Shivambu maintains he keeps Zuma informed. “There is nothing I do without informing the president,” he said.