No room for cultish, abusive, pompous, ignorant or tribal leaders, says Mayibuye president Shivambu
Political nomad Floyd Shivambu took swipes at the ANC, EFF and the MK parties at the launch of his political party, Afrika Mayibuye Movement in Midrand on Friday.
Shivambu said Mayibuye for short is a “unique, revolutionary response to all South Africans who lost faith in politics, reflected in the 2024 elections where only 39.7% of the voting-age population participated, compared to 89% turnout in 1994”.
“The Afrika Mayibuye Movement will not be a cult. It will not be a family project. It will not be a scheme for self-enrichment,” he said with subtle reference to his former political homes.
“The biggest beneficiaries of post-1994 politics are the white capitalist elite, who retained economic power through protected property rights and BEE deals that enriched a few black partners while leaving the majority excluded.
“The ANC has dismally failed to deliver the promise of a better life for all. There are currently no liberation alternatives to the ANC’s decline. Many attempts to reform the ANC from within have failed, and the other parties in existence are not a solution to the people of South Africa.”
Shivambu served in the EFF for more than a decade and was an MP for the party before he defected to the MK party last year, where he served as secretary-general before his dismissal in June for allegedly taking an unauthorised trip to Malawi, where he met Prophet Shepherd Bushiri.
He said the organisation transitioned from the Mayibuye Consultation Process to a political party after nationwide consultations.
“We are going to contest all the wards in the 2026 local government elections. We’re going to contest to win all the municipalities in 2026. We are going to contest to win the general elections in 2029.”
The AFRIKA MAYIBUYE RESTORATION MANIFESTO correctly says that, “The ANC has dismally failed to deliver the promise of a better life for all. There are currently no liberation alternatives to the ANC’s decline. Many attempts to reform the ANC from within have failed, and the other… pic.twitter.com/AX0FWj0bbe
— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) September 5, 2025
According to the 126-page manifesto: “The existing political formations that could replace the ANC with clear liberation, emancipation and freedom ideals and aspirations are corrupt, self-seeking, and cultish and South Africa should never allow cultish politics to rise to meaningful participation in government. It will be a huge tragedy if South Africa permits corrupt and cultish politics to rise to any form of meaningful state power.”
The manifesto also outlines unacceptable attributes and behaviours for leaders in detail over five pages.
These include leaders who don’t love the masses, are pompous or cultish, are opulent, corrupt, unaccountable, are ignorant, gossip, lazy, promote tribalism, factionalism or sexism, abuse women or children, are greedy and nepotic.
He said a full list of officials would be soon be made available online.
The manifesto identifies 100 challenges facing the country from unemployment, land, education, infrastructure and inequality
The movement will prioritise access to healthcare, quality education and fair distribution of resources, among other goals.
Shivambu dismissed criticism the party’s logo and colours bore resemblances to that of the EFF and MK.
It features a black clenched fist holding a spear-pen, representing the movement’s fusion of “intellectual struggle and revolutionary action” in black, green, gold, red and purple.
