He was the Deputy President and lieutenant commander-in-chief of the Economic Freedom Fighters,its Parliamentary Chief Whip in the South African Parliament,and served in the Trade and Industry Portfolio Committee and the Standing Committee on Finance. Shivambu was also a Member of the Pan African Parliament,serving in the Rural Economy,Agriculture,Natural Resources and Environment Committee.[3][4]
Early life and education
Shivambu was born in the rural village of Mahonisi,Malamulele town in the Limpopo province South Africa. He was one of seven children. He grew up in a house without running water nor electricity. His parents earned a living as informal traders selling hand-made duvets and pillowcases in nearby towns. Shivambu graduated from the Mphambo High School in Malamulele in 2001.
Shivambu went on to study at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg with the intention of becoming a technician.[5] He changed academic focus and instead earned a bachelor's degree as well as an honours degree in Political Studies and International Relations.[6][7][8][9] Shivambu graduated with a master's degree,with distinction,in political studies in 2014.[10] In his third year at the University of the Witwatersrand,Shivambu was elected president of the university's Student Representative Body and joined the African National Congress Youth League.[5]
On 6 February 2018,he announced that he has been accepted by the Wits School of Governance to pursue a doctoral degree with his thesis focused on SA's transformation policies,legislation and practices:ownership and control of JSE-listed companies.[11][12]
Political career
Shivambu in 2011
Floyd Shivambu's political career began in student leadership when he served as the Student Representative Council president at the University of the Witwatersrand from 2004 to 2005. He then became a Students Representative for the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition from 2006 to 2007 and was also a National Executive member of the South African Students Congress. From 2008 to 2012,he held dual roles as a Board Member of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and Spokesperson of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). During his time in the ANCYL,he developed a close political alliance with Julius Malema.
Following their suspension from the ANC,Shivambu co-founded the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in 2013 alongside Malema and served as the party’s Deputy President until 2024,overseeing Policy,Research,and International Relations.[13] In 2014,he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the EFF,a position he held until 2024,while also serving as a Member of the Pan-African Parliament from 2014 to 2018. That same year,he co-edited The Coming Revolution:Julius Malema and the Fight for Economic Freedom.[14]
In the 2024 South African general election,Malema stated that a potential EFF-ANC coalition would depend on Shivambu being appointed Minister of Finance.[15] On 18 August 2024 Julius Malema announced Sinawo Tambo as Floyd's replacement in parliament. However,following the election,he instead joined the uMkhonto weSizwe Party,becoming its Secretary General and a Member of Parliament. On 18 August 2024,Malema announced that Sinawo Tambo would replace Shivambu in Parliament.
In 2011,Shivambu was ousted from his position as ANC Youth League spokesman by an ANC disciplinary hearing,after he swore at a journalist,and after making comments about helping to bring about regime change in Botswana.[16][17]
On 17 August 2018,Shivambu was arrested for speeding. He was caught driving at 182km/h in 120km/h zone,and subsequently released on bail.[18]
Assault of journalist
On 20 March 2018,Shivambu was filmed attacking a journalist outside Parliament[19] and was scheduled to stand trial for assault in February 2021.[20] This hearing was subsequently postponed until September 2021.[21]
Paternity scandal
In 2015,Shivambu was involved in a heavily publicised paternity scandal. After initially denying that he had fathered a child with his former girlfriend,Andile Masuku,he later acknowledged the child was his son following a paternity test.[22] In November 2015,he claimed he could not afford the R5000 monthly maintenance.[23]
Racism accusations
Shivambu was criticised for demanding to know why treasury official Ismail Momoniat,who is of South African Indian ancestry,was presenting so often to parliament instead of a black National Treasury official,stating that Momoniat's presence "undermines African leadership".[24] This led to widespread condemnation of Shivambu by other politicians and on social media for both questing Momoniat's role in the anti-apartheid movement and for being racially prejudiced.[24][25][26]
Four months later,the Daily Maverick stated that a likely reason for Shivambu's statements about Momoniat was because he was part of a group of treasury officials investigating the collapse of VBS Mutual Bank which allegedly involved Shivambu and his brother Brian Shivambu.[27][28]
VBS Bank
A report published by the South African Reserve Bank in October 2018 indicated that Shivambu's brother,Brian Shivambu,was the recipient of R16,148,569[29] (US$1.09 million) in irregular payments from the now collapsed bank VBS Mutual Bank.[30] Further investigative reporting by Pauli Van Wyk with considerable substantiating evidence alleged that R1.3 million of this money was then paid to the EFF and R10 million given to Floyd Shivambu himself.[28] Shivambu has since asked that anyone who has evidence he had dealings with VBS must come forward.[31]
During this period the Mail &Guardian newspaper published an article based on WhatsApp texts leaked by a whistleblower alleging that Shivambu's brother's company was a conduit for Shivambu to receive illicit payments.[32]
Ongoing forensic financial investigations indicate that at least R1.84-million illicitly flowed from VBS Mutual Bank,via two front companies,into Shivambu’s personal bank account.[33] The South African Parliament’s joint ethics committee found that Shivambu had received at least R180,000,in three payments,of VBS money from his brother's (Brian) company Sgameka Projects Pty Ltd in 2017.[34][35]
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