By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) co-founder and deputy president Floyd Shivambu has confirmed his resignation from the party.
Shivambu made the announcement during an urgent press briefing on Thursday at Winne Madikizela Mandela House.
He cited his political development as the reason behind his exit, dispelling rumours that his departure is due to political infighting.
“I’ve never in my service of the organisation acted against the organisation’s principles. I’ve never compromised my commitment to true emancipation. The organisation should not mischaracterise my revolutionary decision to not renew my membership. I request that I be relieved of all my deployment in the spheres of the organisation. Political decisions should never be received as betrayal,” he said.
Shivambu wished the EFF “pure success and prosperity”, saying the struggle for economic freedom must never be compromised by an individual decision.
“I have decided to join the ranks of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party and will be actively involved in shaping the politics of the country. There’s is no specific position that will be assigned to me, there is no promise of any deployment.”
EFF president Julius Malema said, “We formed this organisation together and I told him that resigning from the EFF is equal to resigning from himself, because this is his organisation.”
Malema said the doors of “Winnie Madikizela Mandela house” will always remain open to him.
“The constitution of the EFF does not allow an individual to resign and go to other political parties and come back to the party. But I have made this offer to Floyd, that the day he decides to come back, he is more than welcome. He is not an ordinary member, he is a founder.
“I told him, you are not our enemy and we will never be his enemy. We will continue to engage on different political and personal issues,” said Malema.
Malema revealed he is aware a mass exodus from the EFF is coming, with many other red berets set to cross the floor to the MK Party.
EFF MP Jimmy Manyi has also decided to join the MK party, and Malema believed many others would follow suit.
“Fighters on the ground should be prepared for more exits and this should not serve as a point of collapse for the EFF. This is a testing moment for an organisation that has lived beyond 10 years. We have never been through this, the EFF will have to pass this test or it will have to die.”
The development comes after the MK Party relegated the EFF to fourth-largest party from third position after the May 29 election. The MK Party is also the official opposition in parliament.
The party is also due to elect new leadership in December, and Malema said he would be standing for re-election. It had been expected that Shivambu would contest to be the deputy president yet again, while Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and Marshall Dlamini would go head-to-head for the secretary-general job.
Party insiders have long highlighted the friction between Malema and Shivambu.
Shivambu is the EFF’s first and only deputy president since its formation in 2013, was known as an important figure in shaping the party’s policy, while the popular EFF Student Command was his brainchild. He is also the EFF chief whip in Parliament and is expected to resign from the position.