The deputy leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, Floyd Shivambu has defected to Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party. His departure is seen as a huge blow to EFF leader, Julius Malema after the party lost significant support in the May elections.
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00:00Floyd Chivambu was a founding member of the South African Opposition Party, the Economic
00:07Freedom Fighters, EFF, which was launched in 2013.
00:11He served as the party's deputy leader until his decision to quit on the 15th of August
00:162024.
00:17But that wasn't the real shocker.
00:20He joined Malema's rival, the Umkhontowe Sizwe MK party led by former president Jacob Zuma.
00:27Chivambu's exit is seen as a significant blow to EFF leader Julius Malema, coming just
00:41after the party's share of votes fell below 10% in May's national election.
00:47So why is Chivambu leaving the EFF at this time?
00:51And where does this leave the EFF?
00:54Welcome to the Flipside.
00:56Floyd Chivambu and Julius Malema have been politically aligned in the EFF for the past
01:0210 years.
01:03Not many saw this breakup coming.
01:06Chivambu has a substantial support base within the EFF and his defection has already triggered
01:11other resignations, highlighting the influence he had in the party.
01:15To be a huge loss, of course, for the EFF and might obviously erode their own constituency
01:22in the different provinces in South Africa.
01:24In his usual combative style, Malema wasted no time in addressing how the EFF would weather
01:30this political storm.
01:32This is a testing moment.
01:34The organization that has lived beyond 10 years has never been through this testing
01:41moment.
01:42The EFF will have to pass this test or it will have to die.
01:48So what led Chivambu to leave the EFF for Zuma's MK party?
01:53Was it greed for power or is there something more?
01:57One has to see this move to the MK through the prism of his own dissatisfaction with
02:03his relationship with Julius Malema, certainly, and how Julius Malema, perhaps specifically,
02:09was engaged in the debates around negotiations around GNU, the government of national unity
02:14in South Africa.
02:15So there was clearly a ruckus between the two over how they should proceed as the EFF.
02:20It makes sense to step up.
02:22I think what doesn't make sense is then the stepping out into the MK.
02:26For the record, Malema has defended his handling of the coalition talks, refuting claims that
02:32he blocked Chivambu's chances of becoming a minister in the government.
02:36While it is still too early to predict what will become of Chivambu in the MK party, one
02:42thing is certain.
02:43The Economic Freedom Fighters party must now fight to remain relevant.
02:49And that's the flip side.