Floyd Shivambu Has No Regrets About Leaving Economic Freedom Fighters, Agrees Former Party Is a Cult

• Floyd Shivambu maintained that leaving the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had been the best decision he made
• The former uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) Secretary-General claimed he learnt more under Jacob Zuma than the Red Berets
• Shivambu agreed that the EFF was a cult, but he also criticised the African National Congress (ANC) during his press briefing
• Political analyst, Sanet Solomon, shared her thoughts with Briefly News about Shivambu's comments

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG - Floyd Shivambu has no regrets about leaving the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and has no plans to rejoin the party.

The former Deputy President of the Red Berets hit out at the party during a press briefing in Midrand on 19 June 2024. The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party distanced itself from the briefing, stating that the party did not approve it.

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Shivambu called the meeting to discuss recent political developments in the country, and also his plans following his removal as Secretary-General of the MK Party by the party leader, Jacob Zuma.

Shivambu agrees that EFF is a cult

During the press briefing, Shivambu stated that following his removal from the post, ordinary South Africans and members of political parties asked him what was next. He added that the same people told him not to rejoin the EFF because the party was a cult, something he agreed with.

“There’s no space for sound ideological reasoning. And there’s no self-respecting person who can join both the African National Congress and the EFF,” he said.

Shivambu also added that he had huge respect for Zuma. He stated that he believed he learnt more from the former state president and the MK Party in six months than he did in the 10 years he spent as the Deputy President of the Red Berets.

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Ironically, a few minutes later, he said that he promised that he would never speak badly about the EFF while he was with the MK Party and never did.

Shivambu touches on Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s departure

While answering questions from the gathered journalists, Shivambu said that he had no regrets about leaving the EFF.

Shivambu explained that party members isolated Mbuyiseni Ndlozi because the former member knew that he (Shivambu) was going to join the MK Party and didn’t tell Julius Malema. He explained that it wasn’t only Ndlozi who knew, but all those who are now leaving the EFF. Shivambu stated that it was a unanimous decision among them that they were not being fair to society if they said that this comrade could lead the country.

“That’s the reality of the situation. The people who are leading the EFF now; all of us were unanimous,” he claimed.

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Shivambu also targets the ANC

Shivambu didn’t only have criticism for his former party, but also the ANC. He explained that some people told him never to join the ANC, and he fully agreed with them.

“It’s directionless. It doesn’t know what it’s doing. It’s in collaboration with the white system now,” Shivambu stated.

Political analyst weighs in on Shivambu's comments

Political analyst, Sanet Solomon, shared her thoughts with Briefly News on Shivambu's political journey.

"Over the past few years, Floyd Shivambu has been moving from one party to another. To date, he has held leadership positions in the ANC Youth League, the EFF, MK Party and another possible forthcoming party.

"All this impacts his credibility to the point where neither the EFF nor MKP view him as a threat. It is rather common for career politicians to venture out on their own if they cannot make it in an existing party. It is rather unfortunate that Floyd has become one of these," she explained.

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Shivambu remains a member of MK Party

Briefly News also reported that Shivambu indicated that he would consult with South Africans on whether to start a new political party.

Shivambu also confirmed that he remained a member of the MK Party while he embarked on the consultation process.

The former Secretary-General made the comments during a press briefing held in Midrand on 19 June 2025.

Source: Briefly News