You could have had ministers from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) if Julius Malema hadn’t let his fears get the best of him.
Two weeks ago, EFF former deputy president Floyd Shivambu, who has been Malema’s right-hand man since their African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) days, shockingly announced that he was leaving the party he and Malema started at a press conference on 15 August 2024. Shivambu revealed he was joining former Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MK Party), and Malema (albeit sadly) welcomed his bestie’s move, even telling him that he was always welcome to come back should things not work out on the other side.
In this year’s election, the EFF saw a shock drop in support to 9.52%. The MK party singlehandedly changed the political landscape with 14.58% of the votes, pushing the ANC below its majority for the first time and effectively stealing the EFF’s position on radical and populist politics.
Malema, however, took that offer back last week Monday. In a speech at a party event held in Orlando, Soweto, Malema slammed Shivambu, telling party members that everything resembling Shivambu should be “burned.” “Everything else that looks like the former deputy president shall be dismantled in the EFF and gotten rid of with immediate effect,” he said. Yikes!
But Shivambu hasn’t taken this lying down. He slammed Malema for insinuating that he was “betraying the revolution.” Shivambu, speaking at an MK Party presser where he was announced as the party’s national organiser, said he was not in the business of “pleasing each other’s egos.” “When President Zuma was inducting all of us here, he said that we might be friends, or we might think that we’re friends, but friendships won’t apply here,” said Shivambu.
Now, The City Press has revealed that we could have seen a radically different Government of National Unity (GNU) had Malema’s fears of being replaced as EFF leader not held him back. It’s reported that parts of the ANC that didn’t want to partner with the Democratic Alliance met with Shivambu and Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, another senior EFF member. The agreement, which Malema approved, would have allegedly seen Shivambu become a deputy minister and Ndlozi become the minister of higher education.
Malema allegedly rejected the deal, which would put Shivambu and Ndlozi in prime position to challenge him at the party’s elective conference in December.
For now, the EFF is focused on rebuilding, with Malema telling followers not to be “shaken by that.” He called for ‘Black unity’ against the GNU but said, “We can’t say black people must be united under the old man (Zuma).” Hectic.
Malema has said that Shivambu will not be replaced in the meantime. EFF Secretary-General Marshall Dlamini is the speculated replacement, but nothing is certain yet.
As the dust settles and the drama continues to play out, the Malema and Shivambu fallout proves that in Mzansi politics, friendship and loyalty are as strong as a Jenga tower during the Cape Doctor. Their split serves as a reminder: in politics, today’s comrade can quickly become tomorrow’s rival. Hope they hug it out soon.
