Floyd Shivambu has been elevated to the role of Secretary General following consultation with the MK Party’s national officials. Picture: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
Fresh from being unveiled as the uMkhonto weSizwe’s newly-appointed secretary general, former EFF deputy president, Floyd Shivambu has unveiled his bold plans of taking the MK Party to the top.
Shivambu on Sunday said his mandate was to ensure that the party convinces the people of South Africa that the MK Party was their party of choice in order to obtain the two-thirds majority to influence decisions in Parliament.
“We are not in the process of recruiting leaders of other political parties, but if they come, we are going to welcome them. The people that we are recruiting are the people of South Africa, who are the voters out there. These are the people who are going to give the MK Party the two-thirds majority in the 2029 general elections. Those are the people that we are persuading. We are in the business of consolidating structures of the party,” he said.
Shivambu welcomed his appointment and expressed his commitment to fostering unity among progressive forces and positioning the party as a formidable contender in future elections.
“We will build a formidable organisation which has the capacity to win elections outright and provide responsive government,” he declared.
In his vision for the party, Shivambu said he was determined to elevate the MK Party to the foremost political entity in South Africa by 2029.
“Come 2026 and 2029, uMkhonto weSizwe will be the biggest political party in South Africa and will be represented firmly in all corners of this country,” he asserted confidently.
Addressing speculation about further EFF leaders potentially joining him, Shivambu was clear: “I do not know of any leaders of the EFF or other political parties who are going to join the uMkhonto weSizwe in the foreseeable future. But if they are there, we encourage them to do so.”
Although the party’s national organisational structure is still in the making, with leadership roles being deliberated, Shivambu reaffirmed the commitment to grassroots structures.
“We want to have a national footprint... the people that we are recruiting are the voters out there,” he explained, focusing on the importance of securing a two-thirds majority in the upcoming elections.
Shivambu’s rise to the top centre of the party’s affairs comes after the recent resignation of Dr Sfiso Maseko following his reinstatement by the Gauteng Health Department last month.
Maseko was relieved from his position but will retain his responsibilities as a member of the National High Command, which is the highest decision-making body in the MK Party.
Maseko’s exit follows a turbulent period marked by investigations into irregularities surrounding the acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the National State of Disaster.
His suspension from the Gauteng Health Department, alongside eight other officials in 2022, stemmed from findings published by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which recommended disciplinary and criminal action against those involved.
Although cleared by the investigation, Maseko decided to resign after being reinstated by the department.
The MK Party confirmed Shivambu’s appointment in a statement released on Sunday, indicating that the decision was made after President Jacob Zuma consulted with top party officials.
Shivambu’s rise to this key position marks him as the fifth secretary general in the MK Party’s short history, which has only been operational for 11 months. He takes over from Arthur Zwane, Sihle Ngubane, and Thanduxolo “Gorbachev” Dyodo.
Head of presidency, Magasela Mzobe, indicated that Zuma has full confidence in Shivambu’s capacity to lead the MK Party to greater heights.
“The president expresses full confidence in Secretary General Shivambu and the entire leadership of the MK Party,” Mzobe stated.
The party said it will soon announce Shivambu’s replacement as national organiser as it was compelled by its constitution to find a suitable replacement.
“As prescribed by the Constitution, the president has in consultation with the MK Party national officials appointed commander Floyd Shivambu as the SG of the MK Party, effective immediately...The president and the national officials will in line with the constitution, announce the necessary changes pertaining to the vacant role of the national organiser,” Mzobe added.
The Star
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