IOL Former MK party secretary-general, Floyd Shivambu, has declared the start of the process to create a new political party following accusations that he attempted to topple former president Jacob Zuma as the MKP leader.
Image: Timothy Barnard
Former MK party secretary-general, Floyd Shivambu, has declared the start of the process to create a new political party following accusations that he attempted to topple former president Jacob Zuma as the MKP leader.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Mhulu Luxury Boutique Hotel in Midrand on Thursday, Shivambu said they will be consulting with all traditional leaders, church leaders, and civilians over the next few months on the formation of the party.
“We will be seeking the wisdom of ordinary South Africans, including all the churches of Zion Christian Church of Nazareth Baptist Church and IPCC… Michael Nkuna, Dr Irvin Khoza, Patrice Motsepe, and Kaizer Motaung on the need to form a new political party.
“If yes, what should be the values of that political party and what should differentiate it from other political parties?” he said.
However, Shivambu insisted he was not leaving MKP, brushing off the question about dual membership.
“I have not resigned from uMkhonto weSizwe. I will never resign from uMkhonto weSizwe,” he said, sticking to his word that joining Zuma’s party was the best decision ever.
Shivambu stated that the consultations needed to be the answer to why and how the party should be funded.
He said the party on the pipelines is not going to be a personal project, a cult or a group of friends. He added that they will announce the leadership that is going to lead the consultations.
Shivambu dropped a political bombshell during a media briefing, claiming he’d been accused of plotting to overthrow Zuma and take over.
He slammed what he called a “bizarre and fabricated intelligence report,” alleging it accused him of wielding “supernatural powers” capable of making people vanish — charges he dismissed as absurd and politically motivated.
“There’s nothing I do in private that I won’t own publicly,” Shivambu declared defiantly.
His explosive comments come amid a wave of infighting that’s torn through the MK Party.
Shivambu, once a dominant policy voice in the EFF, was recently booted from his position as the MKP’s sixth secretary-general.
The dismissal followed internal rebellion from both traditional leaders and a powerful Mpumalanga faction.
The final straw? His controversial Easter visit to the church of fugitive Malawian pastor Shepherd Bushiri — a move party insiders claim contradicted MKP’s official line and sealed his political fate.
Rumours of Shivambu’s imminent departure had been swirling after he went rogue and called an unsanctioned press conference on Wednesday — a bold act that now appears to confirm his break from the party’s inner circle.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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