It could be argued that former EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu has earned himself a coveted position in the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, having been appointed its national organiser.
Shivambu, who defected from the EFF last week, will take over key functions of the party which could position him towards becoming its most powerful and influential leader.
He made his debut as the MK Party leader on Thursday during a media briefing held in Johannesburg.
It goes without saying that the powerful showing by the MK Party was meant to introduce Shivambu, who has been its most strategic acquisition since it emerged as the third-biggest party in the country during the May elections.
He received a resounding endorsement from the party's patriarch, former president Jacob Zuma, who hailed the former youth leaguer as a true revolutionary.
The news of Shivambu's departure from the EFF has disrupted political discourse and introduced a new layer to the rise of the MK Party.
Speculation has been rife that Shivambu would assume a powerful role in the party which would rival his former post in the EFF. The MK Party lived up to expectation by handing over key and strategic responsibilities to the former EFF deputy president.
It stands to reason that Shivambu's responsibilities are equal to that of a party secretary-general. The secretariat of a party is considered to be the second most powerful role after a president or leader, with responsibilities including engaging structures, monitoring and evaluation, and deployment.
In the DA, the secretary-general or federal council chair is Helen Zille. In the ANC, secretaries-general including the current president have risen to higher stations, becoming leaders of the republic. Ramaphosa and Kgalema Motlanthe previously assumed the role while Gwede Mantashe became the "man behind the man" in the ANC.
With his new position, Shivambu has an opportunity to ascend to the highest office in the MK Party. In his new post, Shivambu could tailor-make the MK Party in his own image, much as he did with the EFF.
With his new position, Shivambu has an opportunity to ascend to the highest office in the MK Party. In his new post, Shivambu could tailor-make the MK Party in his own image, much as he did with the EFF.
These new responsibilities include:
- developing organisational documents and guidelines;
- political education, policy and research;
- monitoring and evaluation of governance in public representatives; and
- cadre development.
This means that Shivambu will have powers over the party's parliamentary caucus, the direction of policy and the deployment. His new posts also position Shivambu to influence structures and leagues which are yet to be formed in the nine-month-old party.
Zuma is a leader who was propelled to power in the back of the leagues. Leagues have often been used as a vehicle to advance one's politics and influence.
In the ANC, Shivambu and Malema — then leaders of the ANC Youth League — were partly used as an instrument to topple Thabo Mbeki in the lead-up to the 2007 Polokwane conference.
Zuma’s address during the briefing was another indicator of Shivambu's future prospects in the party. While Zuma can be credited for having brought the ANC below 50% — a feat other opposition parties failed to achieve in the last 30 years — the veteran politician has struggled to identify a successor who could grow the party beyond its KwaZulu-Natal roots. This has led to a revolving door of secretaries-general and party leaders without significant political credentials.
While Zuma had recruited Nathi Nhleko, who himself is an invaluable organiser, the former ANC president needed someone with far more gravitas and a broader appeal outside of the KZN and Zulu base.
With roots that can be traced to the SACP's Young Communist League, Shivambu has the right political dimension to attract the crowd envisioned by Zuma.
Zuma sang Shivambu's praises on Thursday telling a crowd of journalists mixed with supporters that Shivambu's politics were scientific.
"That is why even his action has become a big issue because it's a scientific issue," Zuma said. He said only Shivambu could understand why he defected from his political home to another party as Shivambu nodded with approval.
Ironically, Shivambu and Malema have in the past credited Zuma's circle as having driven them out of the ANC. This is a far cry to the scenes South Africans witnessed between the EFF leadership and Zuma during his tenure as president. The relationship soured when Malema was expelled from the ANC. It would later be resuscitated on the verge of Zuma's incarceration.
While Shivambu has received a red-carpet welcome, he must still contend with a power-hungry leader who is unlikely to relinquish power — a challenge which undoubtedly led to his exit from the EFF.
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