Floyd Shivambu Biography
Floyd Shivambu whose full name is Nyiko Floyd Shivambu was born on 1st January 1983 in Malamulele, Limpopo province in South Africa. He is a South African politician and a member of parliament for the Economic Freedom Fighters. He is a Member of the Pan African Parliament, serving in the Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
Floyd Shivambu Qualifications – Floyd Shivambu Education
He graduated from the Mphambo High School in Malamulele in 2001, and went on to study at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg initially intending to study to become a technician. He changed academic focus and instead earned a bachelor’s degree as well as an Honours Degree in Political Studies and International Relations.
In 2014 he graduated with a master’s degree, with distinction, in political studies.
Floyd Shivambu Political Career
While at the University of the Witwatersrand he was elected president of the university’s Student Representative Body and joined the African National Congress Youth League.
Shivambu is a Member of the Portfolio Committee on Trade & Industry and the Standing Committee on Finance in the RSA Parliament. He is also part of the RSA Parliament’s permanent delegation of 5 to the Pan African Parliament, serving in the Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
Floyd Shivambu Political Positions
2014- Present: Member of Parliament for the EFF, serving in the Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
2013- Present: Deputy President in the Economic Freedom Fighters
2008-2012: Spokesperson of African National Congress Youth League.
2008 – 2012: Board Member of the National Students’ Financial Aid Scheme.
2006 – 2007: Students Representative of Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition.
2004 – 2005: SRC President at University of Witwatersrand
National Executive of South African Students Congress
Floyd Shivambu Writing Career
He is also a blogger from 2005, publishing interactive and mind boggling perspectives and documents on floydn.blogspot.com, which is South Africa’s most successful blog by a Political Activist.
Floyd Shivambu is formerly a Director of Mirograph PTY Ltd, a company that owns and publishes a youth empowerment Magazine called LOOCHA. He is a fervent Community Activist, always involved in genuine community struggles of disadvantaged communities and the working class. His political outlook is Left and Marxist/Leninist.
He co-edited a book about Malema, titled The Coming Revolution.
Floyd Shivambu Age
He was born on 1st January 1983.
Floyd Shivambu Wife
In April 2017, he married Siph’Esihle Pezi in a traditional wedding. The ceremony was conducted in a combination of isiXhosa, TshiVenda and Shangaan traditions.
Floyd Shivambu Father
Elias Shivambu, his father used to bring home books, one of them a dictionary of political concepts, another a copy of Lenin’s The State of Revolution, which was missing a bunch of pages.
Photo
Floyd Shivambu
Floyd Shivambu Contact Details
Email: floyd@gmail.com
Floyd Shivambu Latest News: EFF welcomes DP Floyd Shivambu’s apology on a scuffle with a journalist
The EFF welcomes the statement of apology as issued by the Deputy President Floyd Shivambu following a scuffle with a journalist in the Parliament precinct this morning. We reiterate our commitment as an organization to the constitutional principle and practice of Media Freedom. The EFF is proud that the Deputy President has apologized and also reiterated commitment to the same principle.
Society must at all times protect and promote a media environment free from any form of intimidation by anyone. Journalist must be able to do their work, particularly within the Parliament precinct, without any fear of harm.
Floyd Shivambu Interview with In Defence of Marxism
Source: www.marxist.com – In Defence of Marxism 20 September 2012
First of all, let us deal with what happened at Marikana on August 16 when 34 striking miners were killed. The official version of the police states that they acted in “self-defence”, but there is now a growing body of evidence that this is not true. What can you tell us based on new information which has emerged and your own contact with the survivors?
Floyd Shivambu: From the information we received from so many eye witnesses, it appears that the South African police had intended to arrest more than 5000 workers for what they call an “illegal gathering” and “possession of dangerous weapons”. Part of the arrest strategy was to place barbed wire around workers and then arrest all of them. When workers tried to escape from the barbed wire, the only way out was through the open space where armed police were waiting with guns and live ammunition and then the massacre took place. In three minutes, 16 people died and the remaining 18 were killed at close range by the police when they were trying to arrest all of them and some as a result of being hit and injured by the police vehicles that drove over their heads. That is the information workers gave to the police and told everyone who cared to listen, but thus far no action has been taken. Workers never confronted the police; they were running away from them; and that explains why forensic evidence indicates that most were shot on the back.
Why did you and other expelled leaders of the ANC Youth League go to Marikana?
Floyd Shivambu: We went to Marikana because for a considerable amount of time we have been at the forefront of the oppressed and exploited masses of South Africa in the mines, informal settlements and townships and it then became our revolutionary obligation and responsibility to join in the demands of workers like we have done on many occasions before.
There have been allegations that arrested miners were then subject to torture. What can you tell us about that?
Floyd Shivambu: The arrested workers were subjected to torture because elements of the State wanted these workers to wrongly “confess” that our involvement in Marikana had led to the violence and catastrophe, but they never found anything of that nature.
What is your opinion of the reaction of the NUM leaders to the massacre?
Floyd Shivambu: The NUM is a useless Union, led by Career Unionists who are now co-opted by big business. The NUM has lost ground and does not represent workers; hence they become petty and only shout from offices when we go to the ground to speak to workers.
Most of the capitalist media try to present the conflict as one between NUM and AMCU. What are the real demands and conditions of the striking miners and how are they organised? What are the arguments in favour of their claim of a wage increase to R12,500?
Floyd Shivambu: There was never any conflict between NUM and AMCU in Marikana. Workers resolved to confront the bosses without any Union representation and both AMCU and NUM joined the workers after they had taken action to demand the wage increases. The conflict was between the mineworkers and the mine bosses, and the State joined in on the side of mine bosses to kill, arrest and threaten mineworkers.
More generally, what does the Marikana incident tell us about the situation for the majority of workers and poor in South Africa 18 years after the end of apartheid?
Floyd Shivambu: The attainment of political freedom in South Africa was never accompanied by economic liberation and transformation. The racist apartheid capitalist Masters are still in control of the economy and have only co-opted a few previously oppressed individuals into the higher echelons of capitalist domination.
As a leader of the ANC Youth League you campaigned around the issue of the nationalisation of the mines. How do you see that in the light of what happened at Marikana?
Floyd Shivambu: Marikana strengthens our call for the Nationalisation of the Mines, and no proper thinking individuals, apart from those with class prejudices and interests, can now oppose the Nationalisation of the Mines and other strategic sectors of the economy.
Julius Malema, you and other expelled leaders of the YL have been visiting striking miners in different locations. What is your experience of the conditions facing mineworkers in South Africa today?
Floyd Shivambu: Conditions of workers in the Mines are inhuman, with no electricity, no running water, no sanitation. Workers are forced to live like animals and the surrounding municipalities do not provide any services to these mineworkers.
The issue of the nationalisation of the mines has become an important question dividing the left and the right within the broad mass democratic movement. The SACP leaders and the NUM leaders are surprisingly opposed to such a demand. How do you explain that?
Floyd Shivambu: The SACP and NUM are not Left formations. They used to be on the Left, but have now been hijacked by Careerists who think and believe that their individual promotion into senior government posts means workers and the oppressed people are free. It is actually useless to discuss the SACP because we would just be giving it the dignity it does not deserve.
Nationalisation of the mines would go contrary to the sunset clauses in the Constitution and would immediately bring forth the wrath of the capitalists, both national and multinational. How would you respond to that?
Floyd Shivambu: The sunset clauses period has long passed and as we have said in our perspectives before, now is the time for radical and decisive policy shifts which will restore wealth and natural resources to the ownership of the people as a whole.
A recent statement by the NUMSA CC has clearly come out in favour of nationalisation of the mines, but also of all major industries. Would you agree with that?
Floyd Shivambu: Our view on Nationalisation has never been limited to the Mines only and we have said in our congress resolutions and in the ANC, that there is a need to discontinue private ownership of other strategic sectors of the economy like Petroleum, Iron Ore and Steel corporations and the banks.
In the light of the worldwide crisis of the capitalist system, do you think socialism is the answer? In your recent visit to London you visited Marx’s grave, do you think his ideas are relevant?
Floyd Shivambu: Our tools of analysis and guide to action and our ideological telescope is deeply rooted in Marxism-Leninism and we have never made any secret about that. We are leading an anti-capitalist struggle in South Africa, and we aim to achieve a society inspired by the Freedom Charter objectives and whether the Freedom Charter is socialist is a question we should discuss in great detail
Coming back to the Marikana strike, the workers are still standing firm for their full claim of R12,500 – what is the situation on the ground? Are they confident they can win?
Floyd Shivambu: There is progress and workers have been given between R11.000 and R13.700 as a result of the protest action. We are happy that workers accepted this victory and what needs to be done is to consolidate it into a national minimum wage in all Mines of not less than R12.500 and we are on it.
You have been expelled from the ANC YL – do you still consider yourselves as part of the Congress movement?
Floyd Shivambu: We are still part of the Congress movement, and we have defined ourselves as Economic Freedom Fighters whose mandate is to lead and influence a political and ideological battle that will result in discontinuation of private ownership of the key means of production. We were isolated from the ANC by a Jacob Zuma led faction because of these views but we will win this battle.
In the run up to the Manguang Conference there is a lot of talk about personalities, but what are the real political differences at stake?
Floyd Shivambu: Our view which we express everywhere is that the 53rd National Conference of the ANC should never be about personalities, but about policy and perspectives which should lead to what we say is the attainment of Economic Freedom. Unfortunately as revolutionaries you cannot afford to ignore the subjective elements that can undermine the success, pace and direction of a revolution. With good resolutions, some subjective weaknesses of leadership can undermine the revolution. So we are vigilant on all fronts.
Is there any message you want to convey to In Defence of Marxism readers?
Floyd Shivambu: Let’s all continue in the struggles against capitalism and let’s inspire each other to fight on because victory is certain. We have learned a lot from In Defence of Marxism and have, at times, considered your analysis of South Africa, because such analysis is not full of the racial prejudices that characterize our society.