Who will fill Floyd Shivambu’s shoes as deputy president after MKP exit? | EFF Elective Conference

The Economic Freedom Fighters will emerge with a new deputy president at their National People’s Assembly later in December after long-time deputy president Floyd Shivambu leaving to join the MK Party in August.

Shivambu’s resignation has shook the party, along with high profile departures including the likes of Busisiwe Mkhwebane, Mzwanele Manyi and Dali Mpofu.

The EFF branches are lobbying three potential names to fill the vacant position, secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, Godrich Gardee, Vuyani Pambo or Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who has been under the spotlight for weeks with many prominent EFF officials calling him out after he too was fired to be on his way to the MKP.

But, who will emerge?

The red berets are gearing up for the much anticipated third National People’s Assembly conference, set to be held at Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg from December 12 to 15.

The conference comes on the wave of resignations by prominent members, including Shivambu, a close friend and “brother” of EFF president Julius Malema, who joined Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party and has since been appointed secretary-general.

Shivambu’s resignation from the party is believed to have fuelled the wave of resignation of other members, who also joined the spears of MKP.

Among others the latest senior members are Mpofu and Alfred Motsi,  including former Public ProtectorMkhwebane, former founding president of the EFF Student Command Mpho Morolane. 

Political analysts have since attributed the wave of resignation within the party to lack of constructive political ideology, rising tensions concerning racial issues, and ineffective governance.

As EFF members prepare to wear the red overalls for the upcoming conference, which will seek to elect new highest decision making leaders, the position of deputy president has been the centre of attention.

The big question that is hanging on people’s heads, is: Who is capable enough and has what it takes to occupy the hot seat?…

In an interview with IOL News, EFF’s national spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said the nominations for positions will only be determined at the conference.

“We currently do not know. As you know, nominations are made from the floor during the conference. It is only in that moment, during the nomination process itself, that we will know,” Mathys said.

When asked how the conference will address the wave of resignations by the party’s members, many of whom joined MK Party, Mathys denied that the party is ‘bleeding’ from losing prominent members.

“There is no wave of resignations from our organisation to the MK party,” she told IOL News.

Mathys confirmed that the National People's Assembly (NPA), will focus on the party’s performance in the last five years and adopt resolutions aimed at accelerating electoral growth.

“The Central Command Team will convene a plenum to ensure the immediate implementation of the resolutions passed at the conference,” she said.

Mathys said from the critical platform they will engage in formulating strategies for the upcoming 2026 local government elections.

Meanwhile, political analyst Goodenough Mashego suggested that the outcome of the conference, which includes leadership nominations, are likely to be controlled.

“Everything is going to be scripted, from what is going to be said, who is going to speak and all the way to the leadership that is going to emerge,” Mashego told IOL News.

Mashego argued that this is owing to the party’s leader - Malema, who would not want to ‘feel weakened and be at the back foot.’

“Everything will be scripted to the point that he (Malema) will not want to risk a leadership being elected now at the conference and in January is going to leave and join the MK Party, because that will weaken the organisation very significantly.”

Mashego predicted that Marshall Dlamini, whom he said has a close relationship with Malema, makes him the favoured candidate for the position of the deputy president.

“I believe Marshall Dlamini who has stuck by him (referring to Malema) or who already understands his fortunes, he is likely to prevail as the deputy chairperson of the organisation or the deputy president,” Mashego told IOL News.

Another political analyst, Professor Theo Neethling, from the University of the Free State’s department of political studies and governance said the party is currently fighting for survival.

“This is probably his biggest test ever, and the question is, will he be able to lead the party out of this desert which they find themselves in now?” Neethling said.

Neethling said he believes Goodrich Gardee and Vuyani Pambo could emerge as the favoured nominees for the deputy president position which has been in the spotlight. 

However, he questioned whether the two have what it takes to fill in Shivambu’s shoes.

“The big question is that, can they find a deputy president that can support Malema and fill in the shoes of Shivambu,” he said.

Neethling said Malema’s autocratic leadership style is the driving factor behind the current dire state of the party.

“Malema is just simply being autocratic, and I think that in recent years he has been a major problem, and it has driven away quite a number of people, including key leaders in the EFF.”

He added that the party needs to transform itself from being what he described as a ’protest party,’ to make more contributions into the people's lives.

“Currently the party has got a profile of a protest,…too much of that. I think they will have to transform into a party that can make more constructive contributions and in that way they can attract people to vote for them,” Neethling told IOL News.

Neethling warned that the EFF has to transform its identity and differentiate itself from other parties such as the ANC and MK Party, in order to politically survive.

“They will have to transform themselves as the party that is different from the ANC, well a specific portion within the ANC and definitely MK Party. They will have to find a niche, and also with that regard they have to transform themselves into a new party.”

Neethling warned that, “otherwise, they would not survive and Malema will be fighting for his survival.

IOL Politics