ANALYSING THE SHIVAMBU SHIFT: EXPERT UNPACKS MK PARTY DYNAMICS

Wed 04 June 2025:

Political analyst suggests Shivambu’s redeployment from MK Party secretary-general to Parliament signals declining influence and reflects the party’s core identity and internal power struggles.

The recent redeployment of Floyd Shivambu from his role as secretary-general of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party to an ordinary Member of Parliament has prompted much discussion.

While the party cited an unsanctioned trip to Malawi as the official reason, political analyst Professor Andre Duvenhage of North West University offers a deeper analysis, pointing to pre-existing internal tensions and the inherent nature of the MK Party’s structure.

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Internal Fault Lines and Identity Politics

According to Professor Duvenhage, the Shivambu shift is not an isolated incident but rather a manifestation of ongoing internal dynamics. “From the beginning, it was clear that there was internal conflict within the MK Party about the very crucial appointment of Floyd Shivambu,” Duvenhage observed. He highlighted the known friction involving influential figures within the party, such as Jacob Zuma’s daughter, suggesting, “We can say Zuma’s daughter is a very influential person within the MK structures and from that time, I observed that Floyd didn’t get a lot of momentum.”

Duvenhage believes Shivambu’s influence within the party is “definitely on the decline,” although he stops short of calling it a “total motion of no-confidence.” He links this to the party’s fundamental character: “I believe it has a lot to do with the identity of MK Party as a Zulu nationalist formation in the first place and, secondly, they will accommodate other groups.” This suggests that Shivambu, not being from the core Zulu constituency, may have faced inherent challenges in consolidating power as secretary-general.

The official explanation for Shivambu’s removal centred on a trip to Malawi to attend a church service by fugitive Shepherd Bushiri, deemed a breach of the party’s constitution and detrimental to its image. However, Duvenhage’s analysis implies this event might have been a convenient catalyst for a decision influenced by deeper power configurations.

Professor Duvenhage elaborated on these power structures, stating, “The fact of the matter is the inner workings of the MK Party is that of a KZN constituency with Zulu people loyal to Jacob Zuma and a few other people. They have strong links to social and other groupings within KZN and the influence of the close Zuma family in that framework and that is, in a way, sidelining Floyd Shivambu.” He posits that Shivambu was not “generating the momentum that people believed he could get as a secretary general and in that sense I think the Zulus took that position.”

While the secretary-general role is pivotal – Duvenhage compares its significance to Fikile Mbalula’s position within the ANC – he acknowledges Shivambu’s parliamentary experience. “We know he is a person that has long years of experience in Parliament, so he can play a role,” Duvenhage noted, suggesting that the Shivambu shift to the legislature is not without strategic merit for the party, which serves as the official opposition.

Despite the perceived demotion, Duvenhage sees potential for positive outcomes. “I’m not going to say that Floyd cannot make an impact within Parliament; I believe he can,” he stated. “Maybe it is even a case that the party can end up even stronger if they can select the right candidate for secretary general.”

The MK Party has framed the Shivambu shift as a move to bolster its parliamentary caucus. Shivambu has reportedly accepted this redeployment, and the party is yet to name his successor as secretary-general. Duvenhage’s analysis, however, encourages a reading of these events through the lens of internal party politics, identity, and the complex interplay of influence within the nascent political organisation.