Embattled Mpumalanga leader of the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP), Mary Phadi, says she does not regret publicly calling for party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu to be shown the door.
Phadi became a trending topic on social media platform X this week after a video of her controversial remarks was widely circulated.
The footage captured her rejecting claims that she supports Shivambu’s leadership, a move that drew both support and criticism.
The video was linked to an upcoming media briefing scheduled for Wednesday at The Capital Hotel in Mbombela, where Phadi’s faction will outline a way forward for the divided party.
In the video, Phadi takes aim at what she described as a “handful” of MKP members who have launched a “Hands Off Floyd” campaign.
The campaign, which has also gained traction on social media via posters, appears to be a response to speculation that MKP president Jacob Zuma may have finally acceded to internal pressure to remove Shivambu.
“There are these handful of members that are claiming that Mpumalanga is saying, ‘Hands off Floyd’. We want to put it very clearly that Floyd must go,” Phadi said.
“We don’t care where he is going. Whether he is going back to the EFF or whether he is going home, it’s none of our business. We are just saying that Floyd must go.”
Phadi also voiced her frustration at reports linking her name to the “Hands Off Floyd” campaign.
“I don’t know how they’ve dragged me into that task team … to think that if they are campaigning using my name, they are going to get it right. They are not going to get it right. Mpumalanga is saying Floyd must go.”
Shivambu violated court order
When asked for comment, Phadi stood by her words, saying she had nothing personal against Shivambu but was reacting to what she described as the “desecration” of the MKP’s structures.
“When Floyd came in to help with party structures, we had no problem because MKP shocked everyone, including those of us who built it from scratch. It grew way too fast, and we trusted the president’s conviction that Floyd could help stabilise the branches,” she said.
“Instead, we were shocked to see him purging leaders of the regions and sub-regions, including myself.
“In essence, the people who gave everything in their power to help MKP win elections have been discarded. That is a demolition process. It’s a desecration of our beloved party.”
Asked whether she still considers herself an MKP member after her second expulsion, Phadi said she has taken the matter to court, arguing that when Shivambu expelled her, he violated a court order that had previously reinstated her.
“The case will be heard in June, but I doubt he’ll still be a leader of the MKP. More details will be revealed in due time, but his tenure as secretary-general is practically over.”
The rift within MKP’s Mpumalanga structures deepened on October 25, when former public protector and ex-EFF parliamentarian, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, officially joined MKP after resigning from the EFF on the anniversary of her one-year membership.
Mkhwebane was appointed as the provincial convener and was widely tipped to take over Phadi’s seat in the Mpumalanga legislature. Phadi, however, refused to vacate her position.
High court ruling in favour of Phadi
The party expelled her, but the Mbombela High Court ruled in her favour, citing procedural irregularities in the disciplinary process.
The ruling allowed Phadi to retain her seat in the legislature — and with it, control over the constituency fund allocated to political parties.
This financial edge made it difficult for Mkhwebane to establish her influence in the province.
Tensions came to a head in April during Zuma’s birthday celebration hosted by the MKP in Mayflower, under the Albert Luthuli local municipality.
When Mkhwebane’s team attempted to take the stage, party members blocked their access. She eventually left the venue quietly with her entourage.
Wednesday’s media briefing is expected to not only address internal party matters but also unveil a campaign truck purchased by Phadi’s team in preparation for the 2026 municipal elections.
