Floyd Shivambu has today launched the Africa Mayibuye Movement as a new political party, a culmination of months of nationwide consultations. Following the “Mayibuye Consultation Process” that began in June, the party has officially been unveiled with Shivambu at its helm as president. The movement, which has also appointed Dr. Robert Nwedo and Dr. Lubabalo Mcinga as its deputy presidents, has declared its intention to contest the upcoming 2026 local government elections.
The leaders of Africa Mayibuye Movement are:
- President: Floyd Shivambu
- Deputy Presidents: Dr Robert Nwedo and Dr Lubabalo Mcinga
Lubabalo Mcinga is one of the two deputy presidents of the Africa Mayibuye Movement, alongside Robert Nwedo. Dr. Mcinga is also a former Member of Parliament for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and a former delegate to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
Beyond his political roles, Dr. Mcinga has a background in business and publishing. She was appointed as the South Africa Country Director for Timeless Women of Wonder Africa in 2021. She is also a philanthropist, the publisher of NTU News, and the CEO of M&C Business Solutions. Additionally, she has served as a strategic partner for Alata-Gold in Ghana and as a film executive producer.
Dr. Robert Nwedo is the president of the Maanda Ashu Workers Union of South Africa (Mawusa).
- June 2025: Shortly after being dismissed as the Secretary-General of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, Floyd Shivambu announced the start of the “Mayibuye Consultation Process.” He began leading nationwide consultations, holding meetings with various sectors of society to gather public input on the formation of a new political party.
- July 2025: The consultation process gained momentum, with teams engaging with communities in different provinces, including the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. This phase of the consultation was described as a grassroots effort to build a movement based on public participation.
- August 2025: Shivambu and his team focused on key regions, including KwaZulu-Natal, where they held consultations with traditional leaders, religious figures, activists, and students. During this time, Shivambu publicly stated that the overwhelming feedback from the public was a call for a new political party.
- August 10, 2025: Following his expulsion from the MK Party, Shivambu addressed a consultative session in Johannesburg, confirming that the Mayibuye Consultation Process would be officially registered as a political party.
- September 5, 2025: Shivambu officially unveiled the “Africa Mayibuye Movement” as a new political party. He confirmed his role as the party’s president and announced that it would contest the upcoming 2026 local government elections.
He explains that the movement’s leadership, which includes national, provincial, and regional levels, is based on a system of “deliberate democracy,” where every leadership position is collectively decided upon [42:44]. This process, he states, results in a high-quality, gender-balanced, and geographically representative leadership that includes first-language speakers of all South African languages [43:13], [44:41].
Shivambu also notes that the movement is structured to avoid common political issues such as factionalism, regionalism, and tribalism [45:48].
He confirms that the “Africa Mayibuye Movement” is now officially a registered political party with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and is eligible to contest elections [46:54]. He describes it as a “generational movement” with “superior ideas” to address current issues [46:27].
Lastly, Shivambu clarifies that the party’s abbreviation is “Mayu” and not “AMA” [46:05]. He also confirms his new role as President of the party, with two deputies [46:41].
