Shivambu gets key role as national organiser – MK Party announces National High Command

Floyd Shivambu has been unveiled as MK Party’s national organiser, a position that will see him take control of political education, monitoring, governance and the establishment of structures.  

The announcement comes barely a week after Shivambu ditched the EFF to join the country’s official opposition MK party. 

Addressing members of the media in Sandton on Thursday, 22 August 2024, the MK party announced the formation of its highest decision-making body, the National High Command, to be led by eight officials and 45 additional members. 

John Hlophe was announced as deputy president at the MK Party media conference in Johannesburg on 22 August 2024.  (Photo by Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle)

The top eight officials include party president Jacob Zuma, deputy president John Hlophe, secretary-general Dr Sifiso Maseko, deputy secretary-general Nombuso Mkhize, treasurer-general Menzi Ngubane and national organiser Shivambu.

Shivambu’s departure from the red berets, which he co-founded, has been characterised by some as a betrayal of incumbent EFF leader Julius Malema. In a rather unexpected move, Shivambu took a swipe at Malema and said he had never betrayed anyone and that his decision to join MKP was not personal.

“Some say ‘you are betraying me’ and don’t once suggest I am betraying the revolution. “I will never betray the revolution, we are not in the business of pleasing each other’s egos,” Shivambu said.

Zuma, who addressed media members at the end of the briefing, sang Shivambu’s praises, saying he identified him as a real politician during his years in the ANC Youth League.  

“I picked up that he is a real politician, his politics, which I define as scientific. He is an honest politician, clear politically, he takes decisions at the right time.”

Another familiar name that made it on to the list is controversial  former police minister Nathi Nhleko, who gained notoriety during the debacle over upgrades to Zuma’s Nkandla homestead. He was unveiled as party chairperson. Meanwhile, the deputy national chairperson was announced as Wilson Sebiloane. 

In a statement read on behalf of Zuma, the party said extensive consultations and thought had gone behind the election of the new structure, and that more members were expected to be announced in due course. 

“We took our time to consult and finalise the collective leadership.”

The collective leadership has been tasked with the “full” establishment of MK as a liberation movement ahead of preparations for the 2026 local government elections and 2029 national elections.

WATCH | Former President and MK leader, Jacob Zuma has arrived in Sandton where he is due to address the “nation” on recent political developments and possibly the future of the party. pic.twitter.com/w0LqJVaLt5

— Nonkululeko Njilo (@Nkulee_Njilo) August 22, 2024

On the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Zuma said he remained opposed as it was merely a coalition of the DA and the ANC of Ramaphosa.

Read more:  MK’s erratic decisions and lack of structures could cost it dearly, say analysts

The MK party media event took place hours after 10 of its 18 axed MPs held another media event in Cape Town, expressing dissatisfaction with their unceremonious removal from the National Assembly, which they are legally challenging. 

Quizzed by journalists on what appeared to be a bleak future in the MK party, having left his deputy president and MP post in the EFF, Shivambu was unfazed and said he did not fear being sacked.

“Some people were asking me what will happen because the MKP has leadership changes every week, what if they change me? If I am removed as the national organiser I will go back to being a member. If I am removed from being a member, I will be a volunteer and put [up] posters even without the approval of the leadership.”

With MK now the official opposition in Parliament, Zuma said he would endeavour to be the voice of the voiceless.  

Former president Jacob Zuma at the MK party media conference in Johannesburg on 22 August 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Luba Lesolle)

“We will, as the MKP, be the voice of the voiceless, and will represent ordinary people on the ground. We will fight for real economic transformation and redress the imbalances of the past, and will uproot all the consequences of apartheid and colonialism,” he said.

Before the 2026 local government elections, Zuma said: “We are preparing ourselves for the future, and we have no doubt that we shall overcome. We are going to fight for the interests and aspirations of ordinary people on the ground, and we are going to sharply increase the quality of policy alternatives, which will be based on sound and clear principles.”

The announcement comes amid reports that the MK party was at risk of becoming a “one-election” wonder if it did not build structures and draft party policies.

In the week before the country's national elections on 29 May, Zuma was barred from taking a position in Parliament according to a ruling from the Constitutional Court, which found that he was not eligible due to his jail sentence for contempt of court. DM