South Africa’s Shivambu Exposes MK Party, Eyes New Political Movement

June 27—Expectations that former South African President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party would become a contender to rule the country have collapsed. Floyd Shivambu, once seen as Zuma’s successor, has been sidelined and stripped of his role as secretary general on June 3, remaining only an ordinary party member.

In a June 19 press conference, Shivambu exposed deep dysfunction within MK: Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla dominates the party; R7 million ($388,000) is embezzled from the treasury monthly; and party leadership silently acquiesces in these and other defects that guarantee the defeat of the party’s purposes. Shivambu expressed his high regard for Zuma, now 83, but said that he was making poor decisions, sometimes based on unevaluated outside intelligence.

Shivambu has been progressively removed from influence in the party leadership by dirty operations more than partly orchestrated by Anglo-American agents among Afrikaners and others. Among those "others" is Zuma’s most political daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, who is determined to control the party and inherit it after Zuma’s passing. She was not going to allow Shivambu to be her father’s successor.

Shivambu remains in the MK party but is now touring the country to consult with local leaders on forming a new party, Mayibuye iAfrika [Come Back Africa]. His former successes, including MK by-election wins when he was secretary-general of the party, fuel speculation that the new party is inevitable.

A helpful reaction to Shivambu’s press conference came June 23 on the new “All Things” Podcast. The podcast host said, “It’s been five days” since Shivambu’s press conference “and the [MK] High Command has been silent. Silent!” He challenged it to confirm or deny Shivambu’s charges. He recalled that Zuma’s daughter’s social media post of February 10, 2025 initiated a vile, profanity-laced assault on Shivambu. The party then announced that there would be a hearing and punishment for her violation of party discipline. But there was no hearing and no punishment, while allegations against Shivambu have led to summary consequences, also without a hearing.

Zuma, a master strategist who is supported by the love of many, especially the poorer South Africans, and Shivambu with his numerous skills, have been the brains of the MK. Shivambu’s competencies include university degrees, organizational skills, and a detailed understanding of the economy. He orients especially to China and the BRICS as South Africa’s key allies. Can Shivambu build a new party without, and to some extent inevitably against, Zuma?

Shivambu’s initiative to tour the country for consultations has reportedly drawn tens of thousands of responses to his call for volunteers, and has the support of Vusi Khoza, former provincial chairperson for KwaZulu-Natal of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party (EFF), and of actor Fana Mokoena.

The mass media have spun their reportage to reflect badly on Shivambu, resulting in a picture of the establishment media lining up in implicit support of Duduzile’s MK. Some worry that Shivambu’s initiative will “destabilize” other parties. (In a political culture in which corruption and graft are usually standard practice, Shivambu’s destabilization could be beneficial.)

According to the Zambian Observer June 25, Shivambu’s initiative "has garnered significant interest, with tens of thousands reportedly signing up as volunteers [to help carry out the consultative process].

“Shivambu has framed the Mayibuye initiative as a transparent, inclusive process to engage South Africans on the need for a new political party, emphasizing revolutionary principles of honesty and accountability, as inspired by Amilcar Cabral.”