Shivambu explains change of heart regarding Zuma

MK Party President Jacob Zuma and newly appointed SG Floyd Shivambu

2 minutes

Newly appointed uMkhonto weSizwe Party Secretary-General Floyd Shivambu has clarified his recent U-turn on former President Jacob Zuma.

This comes as Shivambu and many others were at the forefront of Zuma’s removal following Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s investigation into the multi-million-rand upgrade at his Nkandla homestead in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

In an interview with the SABC, Shivambu says they were in fact misled on Zuma.

“You would know that, during President Zuma’s tenure, there were a lot of falsehoods that were spread by the media. We fell into the trap and joined into that nonsense of saying everything is wrong with President Zuma and calling him into a Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. But when the revelation came on the state capture, we realised that actually there is nothing which has been alleged that President Zuma was doing wrong. There is objectively nothing that represents state capture from his side but we fell into the trap. These are the politics which I am purposefully departing from.”

Meanwhile, Shivambu says the party will not recruit members from other other political parties.

This follows the recent departure of some EFF leaders including Advocate Dali Mpofu, Busisiwe Mkhwebane and former ANC deputy chairperson and Premier in KwaZulu-Natal, Willies Mchunu.

Speculation is rife that EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is also set to jump ship.

Shivambu, however, says they are not in the business of recruiting members from other political parties insisting whoever wants to join the party, will do so at their own free will.

“I do not know of any leaders from the EFF or other political parties who will be joining the MK Party in the future. But if they are, we encourage them to do so because MK is a progressive platform. We are not in the process or the habit of recruiting incumbent leaders of any political organisations. They can come by themselves. So in the MK, we say – asibabizi bay’ asizela (we don’t bring them, they come by themselves). So to delegitimise and rubbish their political decision to join MK is just too low.”