The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) Secretary General, Floyd Shivambu sparked outrage and controversy, after attending the Easter church service at the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) of self-proclaimed prophet, Shepherd Bushiri, in Lilongwe, Malawi. His meeting with Bushiri coincides with the Malawian court ruling which ordered Bushiri and his wife Mary, to be extradited to South Africa to face charges ranging from violating bail conditions, rape and contraventions of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act as well as the Immigration Act amongst others. Shivambu has faced widespread backlash including from his own party, which sought to release a statement distancing itself from his visit.
“The party wishes to make it unequivocally clear that this visit was not sanctioned, endorsed or initiated by the leadership or any official structure of the MK Party.
“The Secretary General undertook this visit in his personal capacity and without the mandate or knowledge of the party,” read the statement.
The party continued to reiterate its stance of upholding the rule of law and maintains zero-tolerance on criminality in all its forms. Shivambu’s visit to Malawi follows that of former EFF MP Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, where he delivered a public lecture.
During the lecture, he took a swipe at Bushiri and questioned his wealth while pointing out how he fled South Africa after allegedly stealing from the poor. The so-called prophet has since responded to Ndlozi’s utterances, refuting the claims.
Shivambu’s visit is also regarded by some analysts as a PR stunt and damage control organised by Bushiri, and to further drive a wedge between the two former colleagues and friends. Furthermore, Shivambu topped the trends on X, with Mzansi questioning his loyalty to his own state.
“When Duduzile Zuma warned us about Floyd Shivambu, everybody attacked her. He is showing what kind of snake he is and that him as SG at MK Party was a mistake,” @Joy_Zelda commented.
@GodPenuel wrote “Floyd Shivambu hanging with Prophet Bushiri and sharing pleasant tweets about the meeting, does this mean anything? Or should we just ignore it? Last I checked, Bushiri was a wanted man in South Africa and by Interpol, with allegations of money, laundering, fraud, theft and rape.”
Additionally, the Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi also condemned Shivambu’s actions and described his association with Bushiri as undermining the country’s legal system. She reminded the former EFF Deputy President of the impact of his actions, adding that they erode the public trust in the justice system.
Meanwhile, the South African government had stated that it is awaiting a formal notification from the Malawi’s central authority on whether the couple will be appealing their extradition, to commence with the necessary arrangements for their transfer.
