Former uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) secretary-general Floyd Shivambu has claimed that more than 10 parties have pledged to support his idea of forming the Mayibuye Consultation process, which would give birth to a new ultra-left political party.
He first announced the consultative process when he addressed the media last week after he was fired as secretary-general of the Jacob Zuma-led party, which failed to honour its promise to deploy him to the national Parliament.
In another media briefing held in Johannesburg on Friday, Shivambu said the political parties that supported his move were represented in various municipalities.
He said he had also received a list of volunteers through the online platform, which has established a submission form that was filled out online to suggest the nature of the new political party.
“We are deeply humbled by the confidence of those who came forward to pledge their solidarity and volunteered their time for the consultation process that we are embarking on,” said Shivambu.
According to him, the number of volunteers he had received was huge enough for the formation of the new party.
“Out of the people that we have, we can be able, as the Mayibuye Consultation Team, to identify leadership structures in all 4,634 wards, all 257 sub-regions, 54 regions or districts, and all nine provinces in South Africa.
“We are in a space now, with the number of volunteers, to constitute a fully-fledged national organisation,” said Shivambu.
He said some ANC, EFF, DA, and MKP members who are in municipalities and the Government of National Unity MPs have pledged support while some of the incumbent councillors have already offered to resign and become part of Mayibuye.
“What stands out in the submissions we have received thus far is that those who have submitted say we should form a party that would not just be a talking instrument or a party of complaints or an empty promise.
“They are saying the party must be involved in social upliftment programs, inclusive of healthcare awareness, educational assistance, skills development in our communities, and a variety of other programs that are reachable and practical for a party to fulfil.”
He said the submissions suggested that the party should encourage black people to fully participate in the country’s economic projects.
“We should also promote black economic solidarity, meaning we should encourage black South Africans to support each other in business and entrepreneurial projects,” said Shivambu.
He stated that he was agreeing with the submissions because blacks were recipients of more than a trillion rand annually through income generated through business activities, salaries, and social grants, but they do not spend the money among themselves.
“They spend up to 80% of that trillion rand in businesses that are not owned by black South Africans.
“There is a spirit that is being infused as to why shouldn’t we pursue a program of black community solidarity, which will be a collective upliftment of all our people as the rest of other people (races) circulate money among themselves and it is only us who give 80% of our income to other people (races) and therefore remained in a vicious circle of poverty,” he said.
He said Mayibuye has also received advice from foreign countries that the new party should associate itself with anti-imperialist countries.
He said some submissions suggested that the party should associate with and respect traditional and religious leaders.
“We must be guided by the principle of ubuntu. There is also a submission that instead of being a political party, we must be a United Democratic Front-like movement, which has affiliate membership, meaning that civic organisations and community-based organisations can join as organisations instead of being a party that is joined by one person, a one membership form, and one membership card,” he said.
