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SG Commander Floyd Shivambu delivered the Africa Day lecture in Tembisa
uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party Secretary General, Floyd Shivambu, has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent engagement with US President Donald Trump, accusing him of misrepresenting the country.
Shivambu’s remarks came during an Africa Day memorial lecture in Thembisa, Ekurhuleni. He called for renewed Pan-African solidarity and reflected on the unresolved promises of liberation, as well as reflected on the events unfolding post SA-US engagements.
As Africans across the continent and the wider diaspora celebrated Africa Day, the MK Party leadership took to Thembisa to host an Africa Day lecture.
SG Commander Floyd Shivambu delivered the Africa Day lecture today in Tembisa.
In attendance were NHC Commanders Adv. Dali Mpofu, Menzi Magubane, Sindiswa Mthembu, and Luther Lebelo, as well as Gauteng Convenor Witness Nyembe, the Ekurhuleni Regional Detachment, and the Gauteng… pic.twitter.com/OmDs1Nkldb
— uMkhonto WeSizwe Party (Official) (@MkhontoweSizwex) May 25, 2025
In his Lecture, the Secretary General urged South Africa to strengthen ties with African nations like Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.
On the sidelines, he said that the manner in which South Africa conducted itself in the meeting with US President Donald Trump undermined the country’s power and potential.
“We decried the very unfortunate misrepresentation of South Africa by Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa in America. The manner, the demeanor, the mannerisms, the manner in which he approached that was just so humiliating and embarrassing. To all black people in South Africa, in the African continent, in the African diaspora. Because we cannot continue to display the colonial mannerisms and attitude towards the colonial masters. Africa should break out of the colonial attitude and approach to how we relate to the former colonisers.”
A few days after the meeting with President Trump, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies gazetted possible amendments to the B-BBEE policy in the ICT sector.
These include an Equity Equivalent Investment Programme to allow multinational companies to meet empowerment requirements without the 30% ownership clause.
Shivambu responded that there is a constitutional obligation to address and rectify the injustices of the past and that those obligations should be upheld.
“We can’t zigzag on that principle of redress because if we zigzag on the principle of redress, it means the massive economic inequalities that define South Africa will continue. It means the wealth gap that exists between white people and black people will continue forever. And what else do we have except the political power to change the conditions of our people? So, whoever is going to play an economic role in South Africa should work within the confines of the law.”
Shivambu further explained that bending the law to allow for companies like Starlink to operate in the country would hinder the progress of transformative legislation.
“So Parliament and all self-respecting legislators must reject the nonsensical proposal of the da, anc puppets who want to accommodate Elon Musk in a very wrong approach in the manner that it is, because it’s not going to be sustainable. Why would any other sector of the economy want to comply with bee laws or redress laws if Elon Musk is given some preferential treatment against everyone else?”
The Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies has been called to parliament to clarify the possible amendments that he has proposed.
