Floyd Shivambu has been removed as the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party‘s secretary-general.
At a press briefing hosted in Durban on Tuesday, the MK Party said this comes after that an investigation into Shivambu’s trip to Malawi to visit to fugitive pastor, Shepherd Bushiri’s Enlightened Church found that it went against the party’s constitution.
A statement on behalf of party president, Jacob Zuma was read by Nathi Nhleko, the party’s national organiser.
This comes after months of contention surrounding Shivambu who left his previous party, the Economic Freedom Fighters and joined the MK Party in August last year.
A statement by Zuma at the press conference confirmed that Shivambu visit to Malawi was unauthorised and it contravened the party’s constitution
The decision was made during a meeting between Zuma and the party’s national officials on Sunday, 2 June 2025, where they deliberated on the state of the organisation and the implications of Shivambu’s controversial foreign engagement.
According to the statement issued after the meeting, the trip – which was not approved by the party leadership – violated Section 3(j) of the MK Party’s constitution.
This clause prohibits members from undertaking international trips or participating in activities that conflict with the party’s agenda or that of allied organisations.
The meeting also referenced Malawi’s March 2025 court ruling, which approved South Africa’s request for the extradition of fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary. The Bushiris fled South Africa while out on bail and face multiple criminal charges.
“It was reaffirmed that the trip was not an officially sanctioned programme of the organisation or the president, which therefore goes against the constitution of the party,” read the statement.
The party said it had received queries from civil society regarding Shivambu’s actions and had taken “due consideration of the gravity of this matter.”
In response, the MK Party has redeployed Shivambu to the National Assembly, where he is expected to strengthen the party’s parliamentary caucus in his capacity as a former MP.
“As a responsible organisation accountable to its electorate and broader society, the national officials have come to a decision to redeploy Commander Floyd Shivambu,” the statement said. “His invaluable skills and experience as a politician will continue to benefit the MK Party in the new role.”
The party confirmed that Shivambu had accepted his redeployment after discussions with leadership.
This is a developing story
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