The political landscape in South Africa has been thrown into disarray following the shock resignation of Floyd Shivambu, the deputy president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), last week.
The news was leaked on Thursday morning and has raised questions about the future of the red berets and the political landscape.
Shivambu’s departure, which came after he submitted a letter to EFF leader Julius Malema on Wednesday evening stating he would not renew his membership, has been attributed to a number of factors, including a growing lack of trust between the two leaders and a disagreement over the party’s approach to negotiations with the government of national unity (GNU).
“There’s been a growing lack of trust, which has increased in recent days as the conference draws to a close, because some members have been lobbying Floyd to challenge the president, who seems uncomfortable about it. However, the straws that broke the camel’s back were issues relating to the negotiations with the ANC,” a source close to the party revealed.
The source went on to explain that the lack of trust had been a simmering issue for some time, intensifying during the election campaigns earlier this year. This, coupled with suspicions of a power struggle between the two leaders, has fuelled speculation that there was a plot and counterplot to dethrone each other.
“This lack of trust also played a role during the negotiations with other parties, because some leaders accused others of serving their own interests, rather than those of the party. If it hadn’t been for the lack of trust, the EFF could have been part of the GNU long before the DA agreed to join it,” added the source.
The source further revealed that the party had been close to agreeing to a deal with the ANC, but Malema vetoed it without consulting other party leaders. This decision, along with the failure of several meetings with the ANC due to disagreements within the EFF, highlights the deep divisions within the party.
“Insiders said the two leaders had found themselves in different camps, with one side in favour of getting into bed with the ANC and the other side against it,” the source said.
Adding to the turmoil, Shivambu’s election campaign for the EFF in KwaZulu-Natal had been a failure, with the party’s support in the province dropping by a staggering 77%. This was largely attributed to the rise of former president Jacob Zuma’s Mkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which gained a significant portion of the provincial votes.
The source revealed that Shivambu’s removal from KwaZulu-Natal deployment under the pretext of helping the party gain more support was a strategic move, as he was seen to be gathering more personal support in the region. This, coupled with the fact that some decisions were taken without being communicated to Shivambu, fuelled his dissatisfaction.
“Some of the decisions were taken without being communicated, and that’s been bothering Shivambu,” the source added.
It is believed that Shivambu’s campaigns were also seen as lobbying for the position of president, while others believe his involvement on the ground was going to upset the plan for Marshall Dlamini, the EFF secretary-general, who has been lobbied to contest against him for the position of deputy president.
“However, the two leaders have been trying not to destroy each other because they know so much about one another. For that reason, they decided it was best that Shivambu’s exit be carefully managed,” the source said.
Despite the carefully managed departure, the news of Shivambu’s resignation left party members shocked and speechless. Malema, in a bid to quell the growing unrest, spent the better part of the night trying to persuade Shivambu to change his mind.
“There was also fear that there could be embarrassment at the conference for both parties and they weren’t willing to [experience it],” the source said.
On Thursday, Shivambu refused to state the reasons for his departure, which Malema accepted, despite claiming that he wanted Shivambu to stay because they had co-founded the party.
Malema may no longer have to worry about these internal challenges in his party, but he must now fear a large-scale exodus of EFF members to the MKP, according to an EFF source.
EFF members are reportedly dissatisfied that Malema arbitrarily removes public representatives and replaces them with people who have never been part of the red berets. The source specifically referred to Carl Niehaus and former public protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who were both elected as MPs, despite not even being members of the EFF for a year.
One of these new EFF members, former government spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi, resigned as an EFF MP last week to join the MKP. The expectation is that both Shivambu and Manyi will be sworn in as MKP MPs after the party announced last week that it would replace 15 of its MPs, who were only sworn in last month.
Shivambu is believed to be earmarked as secretary-general or deputy leader of the MKP. This will give Shivambu, who has long lived in Malema’s shadow, the chance to build structures and establish branches for a party which currently has none.
