After party head Floyd Shivambu called outgoing members “incompetent,” Luther Lebelo, a former deputy secretary-general, retaliated against Shivambu on Thursday, escalating tensions inside the newly created Afrika Mayibuye Movement. Hours before Shivambu defended a massive reorganisation during a pre-convention briefing in Soweto, Lebelo who just quit amidst a flurry of top departures – issued a vicious counterattack.
Shivambu stated that the purge was essential in order to form a competent leadership team in preparation for the party’s first national conference, which is scheduled to take place this next weekend. Shivambu told reporters, “The party cannot afford mediocrity.” He insisted that the shake-up was a sign of seriousness, not upheaval.
He stressed that Afrika Mayibuye’s continued priorities included fighting poverty, water shortages, and systematic economic marginalisation, all of which are significant to Black communities. Lebelo, on the other hand, claimed that the party president was trying to hide his own shortcomings by blaming previous leaders. If the movement’s leadership persisted in casting doubt on the honesty and ability of the departing members, he threatened to reveal “the truth” about their inner workings.
Lebelo shot back, “I will not be insulted into silence,” implying that the reorganisation was a cover for more systemic problems. Even though the movement has only been around for a few months, his remarks have stoked speculation that it is already collapsing under the weight of internal criticism.
According to sources within the organisation, the departure was caused by disagreements in strategy and personalities, while Shivambu denied any instability. Resignations, he said, were “natural adjustments” in any expanding political organisation, and the party’s objective would not change. Many were hoping that Afrika Mayibuye would finally put an end to the long-simmering socioeconomic inequality that had plagued the country for so long, according to political watchers.
However, its cohesiveness and ability to carry out that agenda have been called into question by the leadership row. Experts are concerned that the public feud between Shivambu and Lebelo may detract from the party’s first national conference, which is crucial for electing leaders, establishing policies, and solidifying institutions.
Shivambu said the campaign is moving forward with new vigour, but Lebelo’s threat to divulge confidential information raises the prospect of a clash escalating. As it tries to gain legitimacy among voters and the opposition as a whole, the party’s credibility will be put to the test by the ongoing disagreement.
The next founding meeting of Afrika Mayibuye raises the question of whether the party can put its differences aside and seem united, or if the recent leadership purge signals the start of even more instability within South Africa’s newest political newcomer.
