By Nyasatimes
Africa-Press – Malawi. I am not apologising.” With those five words, Floyd Shivambu didn’t just defend his decision to attend a church service led by Prophet Shepherd Bushiri—he detonated a political grenade at the heart of South Africa’s scandal-chasing establishment and his own party’s brittle leadership.
Shivambu’s removal as Secretary-General of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party, confirmed at a press briefing in Durban on Tuesday, is not about accountability or discipline—it’s about punishment for independent thinking and moral courage. His so-called transgression? Attending an Easter service at Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian Gathering in Malawi.
The visit sent South Africa’s justice department and the media elite into overdrive, branding it a “blatant act of disrespect” toward the country’s legal system. The MK Party scrambled to distance itself, denouncing the trip as unauthorised and unconstitutional. But Shivambu, ever defiant, refused to bow.
“One thing I will never apologise for is when I went to see Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, and he said, ‘Let’s go to church.’ I said, ‘I’ll go to church,’” he told Newzroom Afrika. “Going to religious institutions is a personal choice for anyone. I go to many religious institutions, including those whose faith I don’t associate with, for different reasons.”
Let’s be brutally honest: Bushiri is not a convicted criminal. He and his wife Mary are fighting extradition in Malawi, a process far from over. Yet he’s been relentlessly branded a fugitive, a convenient scapegoat in South Africa’s failing war on corruption. And now, Shivambu is being politically crucified for sitting in his church pews.
The MK Party’s decision to axe Shivambu came during a leadership meeting on Sunday, 2 June, where the implications of his “foreign engagement” were dissected. A statement by party president Jacob Zuma, read by national organiser Nathi Nhleko, confirmed the visit had breached party protocol.
But the drama didn’t end with the firing. In a face-saving twist, the MK Party announced Shivambu’s redeployment to the National Assembly, citing his “invaluable skills and experience” as an MP. “As a responsible organisation accountable to its electorate and broader society, the national officials have come to a decision to redeploy Commander Floyd Shivambu,” the party said.
Shivambu accepted the new role, signaling that while he may be sidelined from party leadership, he’s not going anywhere quietly. In fact, his move back to Parliament—his old stomping ground—might just amplify his voice.
“There is nothing I do without informing the president,” Shivambu added, swatting away accusations that he acted unilaterally. And on the extradition saga? He called out the hysteria for what it is: “There is unnecessary misplaced exuberance around Bushiri’s matter.”
Let’s be clear: this is about more than Bushiri. This is about fear—fear of men who think for themselves, who reject the mob, who won’t kneel when ordered. Shivambu broke no law. He simply attended church. And for that, the political machine tried to crush him.
But the man is unrepentant. “I am not apologising,” he repeats. And in a political landscape littered with sycophants and spineless climbers, those words ring out like thunder.
They removed Floyd Shivambu from office. But they could not remove his voice.
“I am not apologising.” With those five words, Floyd Shivambu didn’t just defend his decision to attend a church service led by Prophet Shepherd Bushiri—he detonated a political grenade at the heart of South Africa’s scandal-chasing establishment and his own party’s brittle leadership.
Shivambu’s removal as Secretary-General of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party, confirmed at a press briefing in Durban on Tuesday, is not about accountability or discipline—it’s about punishment for independent thinking and moral courage. His so-called transgression? Attending an Easter service at Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian Gathering in Malawi.
The visit sent South Africa’s justice department and the media elite into overdrive, branding it a “blatant act of disrespect” toward the country’s legal system. The MK Party scrambled to distance itself, denouncing the trip as unauthorised and unconstitutional. But Shivambu, ever defiant, refused to bow.
“One thing I will never apologise for is when I went to see Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, and he said, ‘Let’s go to church.’ I said, ‘I’ll go to church,’” he told Newzroom Afrika. “Going to religious institutions is a personal choice for anyone. I go to many religious institutions, including those whose faith I don’t associate with, for different reasons.”
Let’s be brutally honest: Bushiri is not a convicted criminal. He and his wife Mary are fighting extradition in Malawi, a process far from over. Yet he’s been relentlessly branded a fugitive, a convenient scapegoat in South Africa’s failing war on corruption. And now, Shivambu is being politically crucified for sitting in his church pews.
The MK Party’s decision to axe Shivambu came during a leadership meeting on Sunday, 2 June, where the implications of his “foreign engagement” were dissected. A statement by party president Jacob Zuma, read by national organiser Nathi Nhleko, confirmed the visit had breached party protocol.
But the drama didn’t end with the firing. In a face-saving twist, the MK Party announced Shivambu’s redeployment to the National Assembly, citing his “invaluable skills and experience” as an MP. “As a responsible organisation accountable to its electorate and broader society, the national officials have come to a decision to redeploy Commander Floyd Shivambu,” the party said.
Shivambu accepted the new role, signaling that while he may be sidelined from party leadership, he’s not going anywhere quietly. In fact, his move back to Parliament—his old stomping ground—might just amplify his voice.
“There is nothing I do without informing the president,” Shivambu added, swatting away accusations that he acted unilaterally. And on the extradition saga? He called out the hysteria for what it is: “There is unnecessary misplaced exuberance around Bushiri’s matter.”
Let’s be clear: this is about more than Bushiri. This is about fear—fear of men who think for themselves, who reject the mob, who won’t kneel when ordered. Shivambu broke no law. He simply attended church. And for that, the political machine tried to crush him.
But the man is unrepentant. “I am not apologising,” he repeats. And in a political landscape littered with sycophants and spineless climbers, those words ring out like thunder.
They removed Floyd Shivambu from office. But they could not remove his voice.
Source: Malawi Nyasa Times
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