Former MK Party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu, now national convener of the Mayibuye iAfrika, says the new movement is not a breakaway from the MK Party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), or the African National Congress (ANC), but rather a force that will grow bigger than all three parties.
Shivambu met with Mayibuye volunteers at the Greyville Racecourse in Durban on Sunday, where he reiterated his intention to turn the consultative process to a fully fledged political party.
He said the movement will incorporate an in-house labour union, civic organisations, and NGOs to build a broad-based political force.
“If we go on the ground and talk to our people with respect every day, we are going to be a formidable force,” Shivambu said.
He said that Mayibuye iAfrika is not a splinter of any existing party.
“One thing that we must understand as volunteers and ground forces of Mayibuye is that the iAfrika Mayibuye movement is not a breakaway from uMkhonto weSizwe. It’s not a breakaway from the EFF. It’s not a breakaway from the ANC,” he said.
“It’s an organisation that exists by itself and is going to be bigger than uMkhonto weSizwe, will be bigger than the EFF, and will be bigger than the ANC.”
Shivambu said supporters should not view the movement as a faction of what he referred to as “very small organisations.”
“We are a movement that we must appreciate, so don’t ever get worried if there are no MK people who are coming to Mayibuye,” he added.
“We know they’ve come in huge numbers and we welcome all members of MK, of EFF, of ANC, of DA – but we are not a breakaway of any of those small organisations.”
Shivambu’s outreach in KwaZulu-Natal follows his expulsion from former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party, which performed strongly in the May 2024 general elections, securing 45.3% of the vote in the province – ahead of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on 18%, and the ANC on 17%.
The Democratic Alliance received 13.38%, the EFF 2.26%, and the National Freedom Party just 0.56%.
“We are an organisation by ourselves, and come elections we are going to demonstrate both quantitatively and qualitatively that we are above those organisations,” Shivambu said.
“We’re going to demonstrate to the people of South Africa that we are what this country has been waiting for – a movement of the people that is honest, trustworthy, and can be relied upon.”
He added, “We’re not going to get involved in wrongdoing and corruption. We’re not going to disappear when we’re elected in government. We’re going to be in touch with the people.”
Earlier this month, News reported that the MK Party confirmed Shivambu’s expulsion, citing serious breaches of party trust and ideological misalignment.
“The leadership of the MK Party has noted several statements and utterances by the former secretary-general, who was removed from the position recently,” MK Party chairperson Nathi Nhleko said during a press briefing in Sandton.
Nhleko said that the party had reviewed Shivambu’s conduct and found he had “publicly defined himself outside the ranks and ideological line of the MK Party,” resulting in a loss of trust.
“As a result, a decision was taken to summarily terminate his membership, and a formal letter of expulsion was sent to him on 15 July 2025,” Nhleko said.
The MK Party said it would not engage in further discussion on the matter.
Shivambu, a former deputy president and co-founder of the EFF, joined the MK Party in August 2024. However, his stint was brief and marred by internal resistance.
He was removed as secretary-general after a controversial Easter trip to Malawi, where he attended a church service led by fugitive preacher Shepherd Bushiri.
Although Zuma initially indicated that Shivambu would be redeployed to Parliament, the plan was never implemented and his name was ultimately left off the MK parliamentary list.
Shivambu has since launched the Mayibuye iAfrika Consultation Process, a national campaign aimed at engaging church leaders and community organisations, with plans to establish a new political party.
Politics
