Afrika Mayibuye Movement leader Floyd Shivambu celebrated his 43rd birthday by donating 105 pairs of school shoes to disadvantaged pupils at Winnie Mandela Primary School in Thembisa, Ekurhuleni.
The party visited the school on Wednesday to facilitate the handover as part of Shivambu’s “giving back” initiative after his January 1 birthday.
The donation drive was prompted by a distress call from the community regarding a nine-year-old child living with a disability who lacked a wheelchair.
“On December 30 we received a text message from one of the Mayibuye leaders in Thembisa,” Shivambu said. “During door-to-door visits they encountered a family with a child who had no means of mobility. We committed to assisting as part of our birthday principle of giving instead of receiving. Our mandate remains total freedom and emancipation now.”
Today we collectively donated wheelchairs and 105 pairs of school shoes to primary school children in Winnie Mandela settlement in Tembisa. We committed to donate additional 300 pairs of school shoes because we could not cover all the children that came with their parents and… pic.twitter.com/DwKoniEQ4M
— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) January 7, 2026
During the event Shivambu promised to donate an additional 300 pairs of shoes to ensure all children attending with their parents and guardians were covered.
Afrika Mayibuye spokesperson Sydney Baloyi said Shivambu intends to formalise the spirit of service within the organisation.
“In his speech to the community, Shivambu said it must become a tradition within the Afrika Mayibuye Movement to give instead of receive gifts as part of birthday celebrations,” Baloyi said.
The former EFF deputy president and MK Party secretary-general launched the Afrika Mayibuye Movement in September last year after a consultative process.
His departure from the MK Party was marked by controversy. He was removed from his post after an unauthorised visit to self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi and internal allegations of a rift with party leader Jacob Zuma.
Despite being only six months old, the movement is navigating internal leadership turbulence. It recently removed its first deputy president, Nolubabalo Mcinga, from her position. Regardless of the growing pains, the party says it remains focused on contesting the local government elections.
TimesLIVE
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