Shivambu dismissed claims his was a selfish move, saying he met Zuma in October last year before the launch of the MK Party, where they discussed the unification of black parties.
“I was among those who said 'let us go and contest elections as political parties. We will contest each other on the ground but will come back to talk about what we will do moving forward'.
“The attempt for unification is not just an opportunistic one because there were electoral declines of the EFF. It is a genuine political discussion which all South Africans must enter into in favour of the revolution.”
In a scathing remark, he took aim at his former leader's allegations of betrayal, saying his decision had nothing to do with individual relations but a broader political motive.
“Some say 'you are betraying me' and you don't once suggest I am betraying the revolution. We will never betray the revolution. We are not in the business of trying to please each other's egos.”
During his MK Party induction, he dispelled the idea that personal relations can affect political decisions.
“Zuma, when he was inducting us yesterday [Wednesday], said we might be friends or think we are friends, but friendship does not apply here. If we do not do things right we are going to be taken care of appropriately.”
Asked whether he is comfortable joining the ranks of a political party that has leadership instability and had structural overhauls frequently, he said he is not afraid to be ousted and will remain in whatever membership rank to serve the party.
The MK Party has removed its secretary-general on four occasions. The party also removed several MPs recently. Some of those MPs have taken the party to court challenging their removal.
“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 posters even without the approval of the leadership.”
He hailed that the MK Party has no unitary rule, praising its non-hostile environment to allow a broad variety of views to emerge.
“There is no dictatorship, there are political discussions. All the times we have got to interact with Zuma he has the patience to have political and ideological discussions to persuade people about how we move forward. He does not stand to subjectively gain anything out of that, it's not like he is going to gain anything out of it.
“He has called for us to unite all the progressive forces so we can build a solid movement that will take us forward. We are going to go to the ground, co-exist and persuade each other that the MKP is the party that is going to take over South Africa.”
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'There is no betrayal, here we discuss political ideology, not egos': Shivambu
'Some say 'you are betraying me' and you don't once suggest I am betraying the revolution. We will never betray the revolution'
Former EFF deputy leader and new MK Party (MKP) national organiser Floyd Shivambu has warned against smaller parties that end up as “fiefdoms of individuals”.
Political parties formed and centred on individuals is detrimental to the cause and should be avoided.
“We should unite the progressive forces behind this agenda because this thing of small, unviable political parties is not sustainable for the future of black people in South Africa.
“The temptation — and I'm not characterising the EFF — when they have multiple of these is they end up becoming fiefdoms of individuals — EFF, IFP, UDM, that kind of arrangement, what do you seek to achieve with that?”
He believes his move to ditch Julius Malema's EFF for former president Jacob Zuma's MK Party is the right strategy to unite behind the liberation of black people.
“All of us can set aside our strong egos and say, 'I don't have to be an MP or a deputy president, I can come and be led' and be asked to go and organise branches of MKP.
“We are building a revolutionary movement to emancipate the black majority and Africans in particular and we are unapologetic about that. That is what we stand for.”
Shivambu dismissed claims his was a selfish move, saying he met Zuma in October last year before the launch of the MK Party, where they discussed the unification of black parties.
“I was among those who said 'let us go and contest elections as political parties. We will contest each other on the ground but will come back to talk about what we will do moving forward'.
“The attempt for unification is not just an opportunistic one because there were electoral declines of the EFF. It is a genuine political discussion which all South Africans must enter into in favour of the revolution.”
In a scathing remark, he took aim at his former leader's allegations of betrayal, saying his decision had nothing to do with individual relations but a broader political motive.
“Some say 'you are betraying me' and you don't once suggest I am betraying the revolution. We will never betray the revolution. We are not in the business of trying to please each other's egos.”
During his MK Party induction, he dispelled the idea that personal relations can affect political decisions.
“Zuma, when he was inducting us yesterday [Wednesday], said we might be friends or think we are friends, but friendship does not apply here. If we do not do things right we are going to be taken care of appropriately.”
Asked whether he is comfortable joining the ranks of a political party that has leadership instability and had structural overhauls frequently, he said he is not afraid to be ousted and will remain in whatever membership rank to serve the party.
The MK Party has removed its secretary-general on four occasions. The party also removed several MPs recently. Some of those MPs have taken the party to court challenging their removal.
“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 posters even without the approval of the leadership.”
He hailed that the MK Party has no unitary rule, praising its non-hostile environment to allow a broad variety of views to emerge.
“There is no dictatorship, there are political discussions. All the times we have got to interact with Zuma he has the patience to have political and ideological discussions to persuade people about how we move forward. He does not stand to subjectively gain anything out of that, it's not like he is going to gain anything out of it.
“He has called for us to unite all the progressive forces so we can build a solid movement that will take us forward. We are going to go to the ground, co-exist and persuade each other that the MKP is the party that is going to take over South Africa.”
TimesLIVE
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