Floyd Shivambu claims he founded the EFF, alone.
Image: X/floydshivambu
The feud between Floyd Shivambu and Julius Malema is expected to intensify further after the former deputy president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) recently told crowd of MK Party supporters that he was the one who started the party, not Malema.
Shivambu stunned the EFF and Malema when he left the party he co-founded to join the MKP in August. Shivambu was initially appointed as a national organiser, but he has since been appointed secretary general.
Speaking during a Christmas lunch with the elderly at Mahonisi village in the Collins Chabene sub-region in Limpopo, Shivambu claimed to have single-handedly conceptualised the EFF, including the name, trademark colours, and location of the party’s headquarters in Marshalltown, Johannesburg.
His visit to the area was aimed at attempting to attract voters to support former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
This as the MK party has a huge support of Zulu-speaking people supporters, hailing from KwaZulu-Natal.
Shivambu was trying to shed the ‘Zulu tribe’ tag to attract Tsonga-speaking people in Limpopo.
However, Limpopo, is a province traditionally loyal to the African National Congress (ANC) as it has many supporters and members across different districts.
Shivambu was joined by disco singer-turned politician Papa Penny, born Eric Nkovani to help woo voters in the area.
During his address in a widely circulated video on social media, Shivambu told the elderly that he formed the EFF after he was ousted from the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) as the spokesperson in 2011, together with Malema, the former president of the ANCYL.
“After five years at the Luthuli House, I then started an organisation called the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) alone,” Shivambu said.
He continued: “I formed the EFF alone and others joined afterwards, including the one who is leading it now (referring to Malema).”
Floyd Shivambu claims he founded the EFF, alone.
Image: X/floydshivambu
Shivambu also claimed that he is the brains behind the party’s identity, including its policies, branding and the decision on where the headquarters of the party should be located.
“I am the one who started the organisation (the EFF). I gave it a name, the character, and explained which colours the party would use and where the party’s head offices will be located,” he said.
“You will know that for 10 years I was the deputy president of the Economic Freedom Fighters,” Shivambu added.
This is not the first time Shivambu has discussed his role in establishing the EFF.
In October this year, he disclosed in an interview with Sizwe Mpofu-Welsh on his podcast called SMWX, where he reiterated his major role in the party’s formation.
Shivambu is believed to have dumped the EFF due to internal conflicts regarding the party’s poor performance in the May 29 general elections and Malema’s ‘God-like’ leadership style.
Floyd Shivambu claims he founded the EFF, alone. He was presented with a potrait.
Image: X/floydshivambu
Meanwhile, Shivambu’s comments have raised questions on X, with social media users questioning why he left the EFF after a decade, despite his claims of having founded the party.
“All of these things he credits himself with undermine his "misled" story. You can't be the "brains" of the EFF, it's founder, the visionary, the conceptualizer of everything about it, and then claim you were misled about a major political position,” wrote @Lord_GT15
Another user, @Nelson_de_3rd said: “He started the organisation then left it? Does it make sense.”
However, some EFF members defended the party despite the backlash coming from Shivambu.
“Lol, yeah, and he single handedly conceptualized creation too, and God thought it was a good idea. And now in his ‘unsurpassed brilliance’, he can make pigs fly too … 🙄,” wrote @niehaus_carl.
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