Johnathan Paoli
THE Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has officially welcomed the addition of both former EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu as well as former Member of Parliament (MP) Mzwanele Manyi to the party following their surprising resignation as members of the red berets.
MK national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said on Thursday that his party welcomed the decision by Shivambu and Manyi to join its ranks and was looking forward to their contributions.
“The onboarding of both these progressive and politically experienced comrades will further strengthen the agenda of the Progressive Caucus,” Ndhlela said.
He said the pair will be deployed according to their strengths and expertise and called upon party members to welcome them in the party’s “agenda of the revolution”.
“We wish them well as they pick up the spear and continue the fight for the emancipation of the downtrodden and marginalised people in our country,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday morning the heels of the EFF called an emergency media briefing in which the leadership, including Shivambu confirmed his decision to leave the red berets.
Shivambu said this was a decision he made on his own and that no official position or deployment has been confirmed by his new party.
EFF leader Julius Malema accepted the resignation and said Shivambu would always be welcome in the party, despite the constitutional bar against members who quit.
The EFF confirmed that this was part of a grander scheme which sought to strengthen the Progressive Caucus against the Government of National Unity (GNU).
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