Mk party Secretary-General Floyd Shivambu Is seen with self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri during a visit to Malawi on the weekend of good Friday.
(The Post News)- Floyd Shivambu, the Secretary-General of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, has finally broken his silence on his controversial visit to self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian (ECG) Church in Malawi. The visit, which occurred during the Easter weekend in April 2025, sparked immediate condemnation and has since exposed an apparent rift within the emerging MK Party. Shepherd Bushiri, a Malawian pastor, is a declared fugitive from South African justice. He and his wife fled the country in November 2020 after being granted bail, facing multiple charges, including rape, fraud, and violating bail conditions. It is against this backdrop of serious legal charges and a pending extradition process that Shivambu’s visit drew sharp criticism.
Before his formal public interviews, Shivambu posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), openly expressing his gratitude to Bushiri. He wrote: “Thank you, my brother, Prophet Bushiri, for hosting us and for the kind words. The government-scale amount of work you do to economically, educationally, socially, and spiritually uplift our people is unparalleled now and in history. I know that the leadership and people of Malawi appreciate and cherish the many massive programs you do for the people on the ground. Continue doing the good work.” This initial, unreserved endorsement immediately fueled public outrage. Responding to the circulating images and videos of Shivambu at the church, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, publicly described the visit as a “blatant act of disrespect towards South Africa’s legal system.” The Minister further asserted that Shivambu’s actions were eroding public trust in the justice system and emboldening those who believe they can escape accountability.
In an exclusive interview with Newzroom Afrika, Shivambu offered his response to the controversy. He stated that he is not responsible for law enforcement in South Africa. He further argued that “there is no court ruling in Malawi within the criminal justice system that links both countries that has instructed that he (Bushiri) must be deported to South Africa.” Shivambu added, “If there was such, he would be hiding in Malawi, and that would have made him a fugitive, but currently, there is no such.” He asserted that “going to religious institutions is a personal choice of anyone.”
Despite Shivambu’s assertions of leadership’s knowledge and a “misunderstanding,” the uMkhonto weSizwe Party publicly maintained a contrasting position. In a media statement issued on April 19, 2025, the party categorically distanced itself from the recent visit by the Secretary-General to the Enlightened Christian Gathering church led by self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi. The statement explicitly declared that “The trip was not sanctioned, endorsed, or initiated by the leadership or any official structure of the MK Party. The Secretary-General undertook this visit in his personal capacity and without the mandate or knowledge of the Party.”
The conflicting narratives from Floyd Shivambu and the MK Party’s official channels highlight a clear disconnect, if not an outright internal discord. While Shivambu defends his visit as a personal choice and claims prior Presidential awareness, the party’s formal statement unequivocally distances itself, emphasizing his “personal capacity” and lack of Party sanction. This public disagreement raises questions about the MK Party’s internal coherence and its messaging strategy, especially given its relatively new presence in the political landscape.
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