Former MK party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu unveiled the Afrika Mayibuye Movement, pledging to contest future elections with a restoration manifesto.
Former MK party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu has announced the formation of the Afrika Mayibuye Movement as a political party and movement.
Speaking at the Mhulu Boutique Hotel in Midrand on Friday, Shivambu said that the Afrika Mayibuye Movement (Mayibuye in short) is registered as a political party in terms of the Electoral Commission Act of 1996, allowing it to contest elections strategically.
“We are going to contest all the wards in the 2026 local government elections. We’re going to contest to win all the municipalities in 2026. We are going to contest to win the general elections in 2029,” Shivambu said.
Shivambu unveils Afrika Mayibuye Movement
“We are not contesting for the sake of contesting. We’re contesting with the aim, and we are going to win the elections in 2029.”
The party leader said the national core team and national officials of Mayibuye have been approved.
The party leadership structure includes a president, two deputy presidents, a secretary-general, deputy secretary-generals, a national chairperson, a deputy chairperson, a national organiser, a deputy organiser and other key roles.
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Shivambu said the list of officials will be made available online along with a restoration manifesto called the Afrika Mayibuye Restoration Manifesto.
Shivambu said the manifesto identifies 100 challenges facing South African society, including unemployment, landlessness, national debt and inequality.
He explained that it also outlines the movement’s driving forces, the roles and functions of the Afrika Mayibuye Movement and its position on immigration. The manifesto further defines Mayibuye’s character, ideology, values and future actions.
Consultations on starting a new party
The Afrika Mayibuye Movement was launched in June, with Shivambu announcing that the movement intended to apply to contest the local government elections next year and all other polls from there on out.
The Mayibuye Consultation Process embarked on nationwide consultations and deliberations on the possible formation of a political party or movement. Consultations were expected to be finished by September.
The process involved discussions with professional groups, pastors, traditional leaders and volunteers from various provinces.
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“Throughout the consultation process, participants repeatedly emphasised their desire to be healed without interruption or judgement, sharing deep insights into these struggles that have long been known by those in power,” Shivambu said.
“We have also learnt that our people have got a lot to say. That ordinary South Africans possess profound knowledge and ideas about their communities, from local government issues to social justice issues to issues that have to be done.”
The Mayibuye leader said the movement has appointed leadership structures for its women’s wing, youth wing, and a medical team of professionals.
Party colours and logo
Shivambu added that the party’s colours – black, green, gold, red and purple – symbolise African identity, land rebirth, mineral wealth, the blood of liberation fighters and African royalty, respectively.
The logo features a black clenched fist holding a spear pen, representing the movement’s fight for freedom with clear ideas and superior knowledge.
In August, the MK party removed Shivambu as secretary-general for allegedly taking an unauthorised trip to Malawi, where he met Prophet Shepherd Bushiri.
The party’s national chairperson, Nathi Nhleko, told reporters that they had noted a number of allegations that Shivambu had made against the party, including his decision to engage South Africans on the formation of a new political party.
“The decision has been taken to summarily terminate the membership of the former secretary-general, and a letter of expulsion was transmitted to him on the 15th of July 2025. uMkhonto weSizwe will not entertain any further exchanges on this particular matter,” he said.
‘Not a cult, not a family project’
Shivambu stressed that Mayibuye is a unique, revolutionary organisation committed to meaningful change for all South Africans.
“The Afrika Mayibuye Movement will not be a cult. It will not be a family project. It will not be a scheme for self-enrichment,” he said.
Shivambu said the party aims to be a shield against corruption, a vehicle for full development and a defender of workers’ rights and fair labour practices.
The movement will prioritise access to healthcare, quality education and fair distribution of resources, among other goals.
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