By Thapelo Molefe
MK Party Secretary-General Floyd Shivambu says the party will not take part in the Government of National Unity (GNU) and has decided not to engage the ANC on the 2025 fiscal framework process, which includes passing the national budget.
This comes after the ANC announced plans to re-engage both GNU partners and parties outside the coalition in a bid to reconfigure the unity government following an impasse over the national budget.
Shivambu dismissed the GNU as a “coalition representing colonialism, racism, and apartheid,” adding that the MK was not reliant on the ANC to assume state power.
He also rejected any involvement in what he described as political machinations within the GNU and emphasized the party’s independent stance on the ANC’s proposed increase in Value-Added Tax (VAT).
Despite receiving an invitation letter from ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula to engage, Shivambu affirmed MK’s stance of non-interference in the ANC and DA deadlock over the budget.
Shivambu said he wrote back to Mbalula, rejecting a request for a meeting over the budget impasse.
The party hosted the inaugural Jacob Zuma Lecture in Soweto on Saturday, where Shivambu reiterated allegations that their votes were stolen during the May 2024 general elections.
He declared that MK would not be a “spare wheel” for the ANC in its internal budget battles.
“They must see to finish as to how they handle their own issues,” said Shivambu.
“We’re not desperate to enter into power through the ANC coalition or arrangements.”
Instead, he painted MK as a rising political force capable of governing on its own.
“We can take power single-handedly as an organisation. We’ve got the necessary capacity to take power by ourselves,” he said, citing the party’s rapid rise to over 14% of the national vote in its first election and its strong performance in KwaZulu-Natal.
Shivambu also defended the MK Youth League’s recent “Where Is My Vote?” march, which protested alleged vote rigging by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
While some observers noted the event’s underwhelming turnout, Shivambu called it “commendable” and part of a broader strategy.
“A lot of votes of uMkhonto weSizwe were stolen,” he said.
“We’ve got empirical evidence… That is why we’re going to court.”
He insisted that the May election results were “not a reflection of the will of the people,” adding that MK’s campaign to challenge the outcome is ongoing and includes multiple fronts—from the Youth League to the Women’s League and religious organisations.
Shivambu also confirmed that MK had received and rejected a letter from Mbalula inviting them to participate in GNU budget discussions.
“We do not want to enter into the domestic affairs of the so-called Government of National Unity,” Shivambu said.
“As long as it includes the Democratic Alliance and other aspects of oppression, we are not going to allocate any budget.”
He also stated that MK would use its parliamentary platform to oppose any fiscal proposals that, in its view, empower those who have historically oppressed black South Africans.
On international affairs, Shivambu doubled down on the party’s anti-Western stance, particularly in response to new U.S. trade tariffs.
“You can’t trust the imperialist West,” he said, urging South Africa to deepen its ties with BRICS nations. “Their relationship with the African continent has been one of exploiter and exploited.”
He praised Zuma’s foreign policy legacy, positioning it as a strategic alternative to what he called the exploitative tendencies of the U.S., U.K., and other G7 nations.
“President Zuma has given us a compass… We thank him for showing us the direction of working within the BRICS framework.”
Despite criticism and challenges, Shivambu projected unshakeable confidence in MK’s trajectory.
Whether in courtrooms, parliament, or the streets, he insists the movement is growing.
“We’re building,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”
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