Following the resignation of its leader, a South African opposition party is concerned about a possible mass exodus of members, raising questions about the party’s future stability.
A left-wing organization, headed by former president Jacob Zuma, called uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) has recruited the deputy leader and founding member of South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party as their latest addition.
On Thursday, an impromptu news conference held in Johannesburg by the Marxist EFF saw Floyd Shivambu declare his resolution.
Shivambu read a letter at the briefing stating that he was informed by Ward 44 Johannesburg’s Chairperson about his expired membership in EFF. Additionally, Shivambu mentioned that he has no plans to renew this membership.
He further stated, “I hereby submit my request for resignation from the post of Member of Parliament and all roles affiliated with EFF.”
In 2013, Julius Malema and his associates founded the radical EFF after he was removed from the African National Congress (ANC) for supposedly causing division and tarnishing the party’s reputation.
The alliance secured 39 seats in South Africa’s May elections with a vote share of only 9%. Although it was surpassed by the newly-formed MK party, which emerged victorious, led to its defeat. President Zuma-backed faction obtained the third-highest number of parliamentary seats at 58 and garnered support from just about 15% voters.
The Progressive Caucus, a left-leaning parliamentary alliance that emerged after the election to resist the ANC-led multi-party Government of National Unity, counts both EFF and MK among its members.
Despite serving as EFF’s deputy president for more than a decade, Shivambu has asserted that his departure does not amount to a lack of confidence in the organization. He characterized it instead as an act of revolution meant to facilitate the unification and mobilization of progressive forces toward achieving revolutionary change.
On Thursday, Both Manyi and Floyd Shivambu resigned from the EFF as announced by Malema. He expressed that this would be a challenging moment for his party to overcome in order to survive.
In addition, the pan-African campaigner disclosed that MP Mzwanele Jimmy Manyi has relinquished his membership of the party to align himself with MK, which is only eight months old.
Malema cautioned that numerous individuals would abandon the EFF as they remain dedicated and uphold their allegiance to the deputy president.
It was on Thursday that the MK extended a warm welcome to Shivambu and Manyi, pledging to employ these “progressive comrades” based on their unique skill sets and areas of specialization.
