Inside EFF drama: Shivambu calls out ‘planned chaos’ in parliament

Shivambu

Cape Town – Former EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu has criticised the party’s “disruptive and rude” behaviour in parliament, saying it was deliberately planned by one individual rather than the collective leadership.

Addressing members of the Mayibuye consultation process, he said, “One of the things I was not comfortable with throughout my years in parliament, the 10 years in parliament,  was a culture of disruption and rudeness that characterised those we served with.

“All those things were just planned in a childish way, with no purpose. Sometimes, even when there are areas of agreement… It was not something that happened spontaneously. It was planned in a meeting.

And I can tell you that there was only one person who initiated those disruptions. It was not the leadership collective. And that was mistaken to be the so-called militancy and radicalism.”

Shivambu said that such tactics — often staged protests and grandstanding — alienated voters, contributing to the EFF losing about 600,000 votes in the last election.

Shivambu, who defected to the MK Party last year before being dismissed as its secretary-general in June, said he would have left the EFF regardless of the MK option, as he disapproved of a culture of disruption “even when there is agreement”.

He contrasted this with Mayibuye’s approach, which he said would be robust but respectful, avoiding senseless disruptions.

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