Floyd Shivambu warns MKP members against misusing access to Jacob Zuma

'The culture is sometimes done with good intentions, but sometimes it is done with bad intentions'

MK Party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu has cautioned members against visiting party leader Jacob Zuma for matters that can be handled by provincial leadership.

Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Shivambu said some members travelled to KwaZulu-Natal to raise issues that could be resolved at provincial level.

Shivambu noted that while some members may visit Zuma with good intentions, others may have ulterior motives.

“The culture is sometimes done with good intentions, but sometimes it is done with bad intentions,” he said.

“People might say, 'We are just visiting the president; we just want to say thank you to the president and introduce ourselves'. However, when they are there, they talk about the internal dynamics of MK politics and the leadership or someone they are complaining about is not present.”

He cited instances where members took photos with Zuma and then used those images to spread misinformation, claiming the party leader had endorsed their views. He said people would say, “I was with the president and Ubaba [the president] said...”.

Shivambu said while Zuma may be welcoming and open to all members, boundaries need to be respected.

“The president doesn't close his door — all of us know that. The president welcomes everyone who comes to him, he's open to everyone. However, we are saying that as a matter of proper record and conduct of the organisation, if you want to raise organisational issues that relate to governance you should raise them in the relevant structures instead of going to raise them there [to Zuma].”

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