Former Afrika Mayibuye Movement first deputy president Nolubabalo Mcinga has defended the party’s Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Themba “Skeem GP” Lukhele-Nzimande following his bruising television interview, but warned him against building his future around Floyd Shivambu’s political promises.
Mcinga entered the debate after Lukhele-Nzimande faced public criticism over an interview with Newzroom Afrika‘s Xoli Mngambi, where he was pressed on whether he had the knowledge and experience required to run Ekurhuleni.
During the interview, Lukhele-Nzimande struggled with some questions about municipal governance and eventually remarked: “You’re grilling me Xoli.”
But Mcinga, who previously served alongside Shivambu in Mayibuye’s leadership, said she would not join those dismissing Lukhele-Nzimande merely because of his qualifications, political inexperience or criminal past.
“I know Skeem GP personally. We once tried to do business together,” Mcinga said.
“I also congratulated him on his nomination before it was publicly announced last year already. But congratulations are not political endorsement.”
She said she would reserve judgement until she had studied Mayibuye’s manifesto and its full slate of 4,488 candidates.
READ: More resignations hit Floyd Shivambu’s party as senior officials walk out
Mcinga refuses to join Skeem GP pile-on
Mcinga argued that political leaders could grow into positions of responsibility, pointing to her own experience of entering Parliament without previous parliamentary experience.
“When I entered Parliament, I had no parliamentary experience. I learned, became passionate about policymaking and contributed to issues affecting communities,” she said.
She said leadership should instead be assessed through “character, judgement, accountability, competence, vision and the ability to build the right team”.
Lukhele-Nzimande’s criminal history should similarly not automatically disqualify him, she argued.
“Skeem GP’s criminal past is no secret. He speaks openly about it, and I have spoken in Parliament about how our correctional system can fail to rehabilitate offenders,” Mcinga said.
“Maybe we need ex-convicts to redesign the system accordingly. That is a serious national challenge. But I also believe in rehabilitation and transformation. So I will neither condemn him automatically nor endorse him blindly.”
She challenged Mayibuye’s candidates to explain how they would tackle homelessness, informal settlements, unemployment and struggling township and rural economies.
“Let the manifesto speak. Let the candidates speak. Then let us comment,” she said.
A warning born from experience
Her defence of Lukhele-Nzimande, however, came wrapped around a considerably sharper warning about Shivambu.
Mcinga suggested Lukhele-Nzimande should be cautious about placing too much faith in the Mayibuye leader, drawing on her own experience inside the movement.
READ: Afrika Mayibuye leadership cracks deepen as second deputy president quits
“And Skeem GP, since I know you personally, let me say this publicly: if things don’t work out between you and Floyd, don’t worry, I’ll be here for you, just as you were ‘there’ for me,” she said.
“I know something about rebuilding after becoming part of someone else’s political project. I won’t say, ‘I told you so.’ I’ll simply say, ‘Welcome. I know this road.”‘
Mcinga did not spell out which promises she believed had been broken but said she had made sacrifices after believing in what the movement was building.
“When things ultimately changed, I had to rebuild parts of my life and my profile,” she said.
“That experience taught me something, never build your entire future around another person’s political promises.”
She warned that political strategy should never come at the expense of those persuaded to make sacrifices for a political project.
When publicity becomes costly
Mcinga also questioned whether the controversy surrounding Lukhele-Nzimande’s mayoral candidacy could itself form part of Shivambu’s political strategy.
“As for Floyd Shivambu, I worked closely with him, and I know how strategic he is. I find it difficult to believe he did not anticipate the level of public discussion this nomination would generate,” Mcinga said.
“Perhaps this is part of the strategy to put Mayibuye on the map. After all, even bad publicity can create publicity.
“But my question is, when does publicity become a cost?”
She warned that politicians should not treat people’s reputations and livelihoods as pieces on a political chessboard.
“Political decisions involve real people. Their names, careers, reputations, relationships and livelihoods are not political chess pieces.”
“Floyd, my advice is simple: politics is a long game. Be careful who you build up, be careful who you break down, and be careful with people’s lives.”
Mcinga then turned the serious political warning into a cheeky piece of relationship advice for her former political boss, joking that Shivambu might simply need a wife.
She suggested he needed a “spiritually grounded, politically intelligent woman” with enough courage to tell him when a political move was unnecessary.
“I don’t believe you are bewitched, Floyd. I think you may simply need better counsel,” she said.
Mcinga jokingly volunteered herself for the position of “counsel-giving First Lady”, saying no salary, tender or political appointment would be required.
But she made it clear that returning to Mayibuye as an ordinary member was a chapter that had already passed.
“I wish Floyd well. I wish Skeem GP well. I wish all 4,488 candidates wisdom and strength as they go into communities,” Mcinga said.
“I will wait for the manifesto. Then we can have the real conversation.”
Shivambu dismissed Mcinga’s remarks when Sunday World approached him for comment.
Asked to respond to her warning about political promises, the suggestion that Lukhele-Nzimande’s controversial candidacy could be part of a publicity strategy and whether he remained confident in his mayoral candidate, Shivambu was terse.
“I don’t respond to rubbish,” he said.
- Nolubabalo Mcinga defended Themba "Skeem GP" Lukhele-Nzimande after his criticized TV interview and cautioned him against relying solely on Floyd Shivambu's political promises.
- Mcinga argued that political leadership can be developed over time and Lukhele-Nzimande's criminal past should not automatically disqualify him from leadership.
- She urged Mayibuye Movement candidates to explain their plans for addressing homelessness, unemployment, and struggling township and rural economies.
- Mcinga suggested Shivambu might have orchestrated the controversy around Lukhele-Nzimande's nomination as a publicity strategy but questioned the costs of such publicity.
- Floyd Shivambu dismissed Mcinga's remarks as "rubbish" when approached for comment by Sunday World.
Former Afrika Mayibuye Movement first deputy president Nolubabalo
But
"I know Skeem GP personally. We once tried to do business together,"
"I also congratulated him on his nomination before it was publicly announced last year already. But congratulations are not political endorsement."
READ: More resignations hit Floyd
"When I entered Parliament, I had no parliamentary experience. I learned, became passionate about policymaking and contributed to issues affecting communities," she said.
"Skeem GP's criminal past is no secret. He speaks openly about it, and I have spoken in Parliament about how our correctional system can fail to rehabilitate offenders,"
"Maybe we need ex-convicts to redesign the system accordingly.
is a serious national challenge. But I also believe in rehabilitation and transformation. So I will neither condemn him automatically nor endorse him blindly." That
"Let the manifesto speak. Let the candidates speak.
Her defence of
READ: Afrika Mayibuye leadership cracks deepen as second deputy president quits
"
"I know something about rebuilding after becoming part of someone else's political project. I won't say, 'I told you so.' I'll simply say, 'Welcome. I know this road."'
"When things ultimately changed, I had to rebuild parts of my life and my profile," she said.
"
"As for Floyd
"Perhaps this is part of the strategy to put Mayibuye on the map. After all, even bad publicity can create publicity.
"But my question is, when does publicity become a cost?"
"Political decisions involve real people.
Their names, careers, reputations, relationships and livelihoods are not political chess pieces."
"Floyd, my advice is simple: politics is a long game. Be careful who you build up, be careful who you break down, and be careful with people's lives."
"I don't believe you are bewitched, Floyd. I think you may simply need better counsel," she said.
But she made it clear that returning to Mayibuye as an ordinary member was a chapter that had already passed.
"I wish Floyd well. I wish Skeem GP well. I wish all 4,488 candidates wisdom and strength as they go into communities,"
"I will wait for the manifesto.
Asked to respond to her warning about political promises, the suggestion that
"I don't respond to rubbish," he said.
