A storm of controversy has erupted within the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, with former secretary-general Floyd Shivambu at its centre. The party's rank and file have been vocal, demanding an investigation into alleged nepotism and political favouritism following the appointment of his younger brother's lover, Kelebogile Molefe, to a senior finance role.
Kelebogile Molefe, who is the lover of Floyd's brother Brian and the mother of his child, was appointed to a plum finance post at the MKP's headquarters in Johannesburg. At the time, with no appointed treasurer-general, Shivambu was acting in that powerful position, giving him de facto control of the party's purse. The aggrieved party members were lobbying for party president Jacob Zuma to establish a committee to investigate the appointment. An anonymous party member stated, “We wanted the party to check whether or not she qualifies for the job and whether the post was advertised to give other party members an equal opportunity to contest for it. This would have cleared Floyd of any suspicion that Molefe enjoyed an added advantage over other party members because of her close proximity to Floyd.”
According to public records, Molefe holds a Btech in Finance and Accounting (Public) from the Tshwane University of Technology. However, critics within the party argued that her close personal ties to the Shivambus undermined trust and contributed to the calls for his removal as secretary-general. An EFF insider noted, "Everyone in the office knew that she was Brian's girlfriend," underscoring scepticism about her independence and loyalty.
A Trail of Questions and Political Migrations
The story of Kelebogile Molefe's appointment is intertwined with the political migration of Floyd Shivambu himself. Sunday World has independently established that Molefe, who has a child with Brian, formerly worked in the EFF's finance department. She followed Shivambu from the EFF to the MKP in September of last year and quickly ascended to the influential finance post.
The move was met with apprehension from EFF leadership. Upon Shivambu's resignation from his EFF deputy presidency and subsequent move to the MKP, Molefe was reportedly instructed to work from home, reflecting concerns about her allegiances. Her proximity to Shivambu, critics claim, compromised her trustworthiness within the EFF. An EFF insider recounted, “She could not be trusted given her proximity to Floyd.”
The subsequent elevation of Shivambu to the powerful secretary-general post in the MKP only increased tensions within the new party, with some members alleging that financial and administrative decisions were influenced more by personal relationships than merit. The friction reached a head when President Zuma announced Shivambu’s recall as secretary-general after his Easter visit to Shepherd Bushiri’s church in Malawi. Although he was set to be redeployed to parliament, he reportedly refused the position.
Party Officials Respond to Allegations
When questioned about the matter, MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela confirmed that Molefe was brought into the party when Shivambu became the secretary-general, but he was unsure of her current employment status. “Kelebogile was brought in to work in the financial department of MK Party, however I need to check for you if she still works for the organisation or not. There are lot of changes at the office, and I am not sure if she is still working here or not. Last time I saw her she was pregnant and I haven’t seen her for some time,” said Ndhlela.
He further added, “The woman was appointed in the finance management office. The matter of her appointment did come out and I need to find out what measures were taken. I am not sure if she is still there or not. We discovered late when she was already there, however I can’t tell who brought her in the party. When we found out the link, we connected the dots the same way you have found out.”
An MKP senior leader told Sunday World that Molefe has been on maternity leave for four months and has yet to return. “Kelebogile went to maternity leave four months ago but she had not come back. She should have been back by now, but she is still not here. There were internal investigations that were going to take place because she came there with her sbali (Shivambu), and currently I am not sure about the status of the matter,” the source said.
In contrast to the allegations, a former MKP member and Shivambu loyalist, Patrick Sindane, highlighted Shivambu's positive impact on the party's finances. “It is no secret. Floyd closed money taps in parliament and other legislatures. People were doing as they pleased, and there were no accounting measures. They were misusing party funds. He came and said, ‘You cannot do this’,” said Sindane. He added, “In my view, MK was a chaotic party, and yes, it got votes all over and became the third biggest party in SA; politically, there was no clear direction. Floyd came in and fixed this and took over the administration.”
Questions sent to all other parties involved were not responded to.
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