Former EFF deputy president turned MK Party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu is said to be losing his grip on the party's branches and some regional leaders are calling for his head.
Shivambu first gained popularity in the ANC's Youth League, then formed a party with Julius Malema and moved to the MK Party after the EFF's poor showing in the polls. He has been losing favour with some within the top structures of the party, insiders said.
Two insiders with intimate knowledge of the party's inner workings said Shivambu has found himself up against national chair Nathi Nhleko and deputy president Dr John Hlophe.
The insiders claim that factions are forming within former president Jacob Zuma's inner circle, with some in favour of Shivambu while others, including some within his family, wary of him.
“There are some of us who feel that he is a turncoat, and he could easily betray us for something better. That, to me, is immaterial because we all have left something. Another issue is that he does not identify with the branches. As the secretary-general you need to be in touch with the branches and you need to be approachable; he can't do that. He can't even respond to calls from branches. That is not how we work. Maybe it worked in the EFF, but here we need people who understand the importance of branches,” one insider said.
Another MK Party member and former ANC leader said while he possessed the “intellect” the party needed, “he is not a leader”.
“I haven't heard much about his performance, so I won't venture to answer anything related, but what my experience with him has been [is] that he is not prepared for this space. KZN is difficult,” they said.
This comes as a letter circulated on social media from an MK Party regional leader calling for Shivambu's resignation.
AbaQulusi subregions coordinator Mxolisi Mthethwa wrote to MK Party leader Duduzile Zuma, claiming Shivambu has consistently demonstrated an inability to provide effective leadership, guidance and direction.
Mthethwa said that Shivambu has shown poor decision-making skills by making decisions without proper consultation of the structures. He said that Shivambu has failed to communicate with constituency office staff members, the KZN provincial leaders, and the KZN legislature caucus, causing “confusion, mistrust and disunity”.
The secretary-general has engaged in an unprofessional conduct, including not paying the constituency staff and rents for buildings used in the offices across KZN. He has consistently failed to uphold the values and principles of our organisation. One of the main values of MK is advocating for ubuntu
— Mxolisi Mthethwa, AbaQulusi subregions coordinator
“He has shown a lack of understanding and competence in key areas of responsibility, leading to poor decision-making and ineffective management. The issue of buses, which were supposed to transport ground forces of uMkhonto from various regions, is evidence to the point.
“The secretary-general has engaged in an unprofessional conduct, including not paying the constituency staff and rents for buildings used in the offices across KZN. He has consistently failed to uphold the values and principles of our organisation. One of the main values of MK is advocating for ubuntu.
“The secretary-general managed to sleep at night knowing very well that about 60 families had dark festive holidays because they were not paid. As we speak, his office is bullying constituency office staff into signing new contracts on top of existing contracts; no payment has been made to MK constituency staff for January. This brings our organisation's reputation into disrepute,” Mthethwa wrote.
One insider said that this was not the first letter the party has received about Shivambu's performance in the province. They said some party members had voiced their frustration to MK Party president Jacob Zuma.
“Zuma is aware of this. He knows what the ground forces are saying and he knows what the leadership is saying,” they said.
Shivambu was earmarked for the position of secretary-general when he defected from the EFF last year.
In November, the party announced that he would take over the position after he had been the national organiser in August.
He was said to be the future of the party and the likely heir to Zuma's presidency. It was believed that Shivambu would help the party gain support outside KZN and help shape it into a functioning organisation.
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela, Shivambu, Nhleko and Hlophe had not responded to TimesLIVE Premium questions at the time of publishing.
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